The First Knight Saga-Book One: Hero's Requiem
by Raikou
Summary: After returning to the past Link's life is not all that he had envisioned it would be, but with darkness rapidly resurfacing can he still find the courage to resist? Or will Hyrule fall into ruin...
1. Chapter I: Knights of the Realm

**This is a rewrite of a story I wrote a very long time ago (Hero's Requiem) and it is based on a persistent timeline which I researched and drew up myself. It isn't quite compatible with the two branched timeline that came after it and even less with the newest three branched timeline. All I can say is that I still enjoy the core of the story and I've made some subtle changes to make it more in line with the Adult Link/Hero Succeeds timeline. But if it seems to contradict the canon in certain points that is the reason. I may later post the timeline as a preface just so you'll know where it's coming from. **

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Rage; unquechable rage permeated his entire being, his skin crawled with it, his eyes seethed with it, it even polluted the rich and wholesome grasses around him, turning the rich soil to foetid char and the vegetation gray and brittle. Gannondorf had, however briefly touched the hem of godhood and it had been stripped from him, that thrice cursed and damned boy had defeated him. It was an impossibility that galled him unendingly. He would hold that power again, and he would scorch the world with it.

The sacred realm was an almost austere plane, bits of paradise floated through a nearly featureless semi twilight that bathed each floating island in a warm golden light. The horizon was dominated by an unimaginably large structure, the Temple of Light from whence came the golden light that lit the entire realm. But Gannondorf could not move toward it, he could not even avert his gaze from it, the seven seals of the seven sages held him firmly in place. His eternal imprisonment in this realm had scarcely begun and already he could barely stand it. Minutes that seemed themselves an eternity began to stretch into hours and into days until the passage of days was lost in the eternally lit Sacred Realm.

When his bonds released he at first assumed it was just a hallucination, a mad dream spawned from his desire to reach forward and claim the power that was rightly his. He lay on the twisted, rage-marred island for hours before he tried standing. As he struggled to his feet his malevolent laughter echoed darkly throughout the golden land.

The axe cleaved the morning dew in a wide arc, splitting the wood in one clean chop. Link continued until he had more than enough to cook his breakfast, he stacked the rest beneath the eaves of his cottage on the outskirts of the forest and draped a canvas across it to keep it dry. When the fire was crackling warmly and the hare he had caught that morning was heating up in the pot he headed outside for training. Putting his fingers to his lips he whistled three familiar notes and soon the vibrations in the ground heralded Epona's coming, she came over the hill at full gallop barreling towards him. Link didn't budge, he waited until the perfect moment and grabbed her around the neck, swinging himself onto the saddle.

"Well at least we got that trick down," he said patting his partner's flanks, "let's not have any more repeats of last time." he shuddered at the painful memory, and Epona snorted her agreement. "Alright, let's go." he spurred her on swinging by the back of his cottage, leaning over to snatch his sword up from beside the stack of wood. Just over the rise there was a grove of trees to which he had tied shields and old armor and anything else he could swing his sword at for practice.

When he was done he turned back towards his cottage only to see pennants marching over the hill soon followed by two men in gambesons and a woman and three children. He recognized them before he even saw them, the windmill on the pennant was a dead giveaway. It was Sir Grey of Kakariko, a prestigious knight of the realm and a longtime friend.

Gannondorf's imprisonment was supposed to prevent the Imprisoning War but it had happened anyway, Link had joined the fighting at thirteen, the youngest soldier in the war but not by much, not by nearly enough. The result though, was that Link became the youngest knight in the Kingdom's history and made many friends through the other knights and soldiers. The other man was his young son Dael, just a few years younger than Link and halfway on the way to becoming a knight himself.

"A knight's work is never done, eh, Link?" Sir Grey gripped his forearm from atop his grey gelding Rueben.

"Sir Grey, to what do I owe the pleasure." Link returned the greeting heartily, he didn't get many visitors this near the forest save for the occasional wayward pilgrim in spring. "Did Rena not accompany you?" Link asked looking past him for his shrewish daughter.

"Back at your cottage, improving your coney stew...are you inquiring after her?" he asked slyly. Rena was hopelessly in love with the young knight, a situation which was not helped by the fact that Sir Grey kept trying to pair them together.

"I only ask so that I'm not caught unawares by a stray nagging." laughing the men entered the humble cottage concealed just inside the sylvan shade of the forest.

As they entered the cottage they were greeted with a pleasant aroma accompanied by the less welcome sound of Rena, "Link, you call that breakfast? It's a wonder you haven't collapsed of starvation by now."

"Well, a woman's touch was doubtless needed and certainly it's appreciated." he returned politely. She only snorted in response and returned to stirring the pot to hide the blood rushing to her cheeks. They exited the one room abode through the back where he had carved some sturdy, if not particularly decorative chairs. "So, you've yet to tell me what brings you all out here."

"Well, in truth we should have headed straight to the palace but I knew we could reach you faster than the messenger. The princess has summoned the Knights of the Realm, the King's illness has taken a turn for the worse I'm afraid and prince Lucas has still not returned from his campaign in the west."

Link stood, "I'm afraid you'll have to forgive me Sir Grey, I should leave immediately."

Sir Grey inclined his head, as if he expected this, "I thought as much, I will tell Rena she will have to cook for you some other time."

"Give her my apologies, will you?" Link mounted Epona and strapped on his sword and thundered off up the hill grabbing his own roughly fashioned pennant leaned against his chimney as he went.

It was storming and the drawbridge to castle town was already up when he arrived that night but it didn't stay that way for long, "A knight!" came the cry from the guard tower.

"I am Sir Link of the Wood, Knight Protector of her Highness the Princess of Hyrule." He cried waving his pennant urgently.

"Ho! Stand clear!" the guards shouted as the gate began to descend, dropping across the swollen moat.

Epona pranced sensing her master's urgency as the drawbridge slowly lowered, the ancient and well oiled gears dropping it softly across the deep moat. As soon as it thudded down Epona charged across and up the streets of Castle Town her hooves striking sparks on the wide flagstones.

The bridge to the palace seemed longer than usual, the great columns flashing past as Epona's haunches heaved and spouted gouts of mist into the night with each fleeting hoofbeat. The two remaining gates to the palace opened as soon as they saw his pennant flashing in the rain, they knew the banners had been called and it was not their business to delay them. The hall was warmly lit, guards were lining the walls and Zelda waited on the far side of the hall to receive him. He reflexively dropped to one knee, he knew what was expected of him.

"Rise, sir Knight." Her tone was gentle and authoritative. He rose but kept his hand over his chest as a gesture of fealty and kept his gaze down, though not so much that he couldn't see her out of his peripheral eye, "I knew you would arrive tonight." He didn't question her prescience, he had learned to accept it over the years. "Your attention to your duty does you honor, sir. You may take a meal with the other knights in the grand hall or retire to your chambers, I shall speak to you when all the knights have arrived."

He lifted his gaze, he could see the stress in her face; he wanted to run to her, to embrace her, to... but his feet stayed firmly in place in the puddle of water he had created, "Your Highness, as my lady's protector I believe it is my duty to..."

She cut across him with a raised hand, Her shoulders sagged briefly and her lip trembled ever so slightly but she regained her composure, "That will be all, Sir." she said and turned briskly, whisking away through the far door which closed behind her with a final thud that echoed in the vaulted hall. Link shivered in the entrance, the hall did not seem quite so warm as it had when he'd first entered.

Link went first to his chambers to change, he had just stripped down to his small clothes when he felt a presence behind him. "It was not so long ago that I would have rounded on you without a second thought."

"It was not so long ago that you would have failed to sense my presence at all..."

He chuckled lightly reminding himself it was not the Sheikah he was angry with, "It is good to see a friendly face, Impa." He turned and smiled. The woman sat in his chair legs crossed, at ease though he knew she could have a dagger at his throat in the twinkling of an eye, "I had thought to go without it for the time being."

"Yes, I overheard your conversation with Zelda. It was very...appropriate." She said delicately, a smile playing the corners of her lips. "Try not to be too angry with her, it doesn't become you."

"All I ask..." he fumed pulling his shirt over his head, "Is for a bit of equity. It's bad enough I get the lowborn treatment from most of the knights and castle guard. Do have to get it from her of all people..." He checked himself, realizing he was raising his voice. "My lady is the kindest, sweetest person I know...to everyone but me." Impa laughed at this, "I'm glad someone finds it amusing." He sighed.

"Oh, but you are such a sweet young boy," she laughed, Link frowned, "She treats the other knights so favorably because the other knights don't make her feel the way you do. Has it ever occurred to you that if she said more than two words to you then her feelings would come tumbling out like the Zoras Falls? Such is the curse of young love."

"That doesn't help me. I know it's difficult, the situation isn't ideal. It's hard for me to bend the knee whenever she's around, and it's improper for my gaze to rise above the hem of her dress, everything I say must be tempered beforehand, I cannot ever speak my mind..." he stopped again and took a deep breath, Impa was no longer laughing, she looked on him pityingly which made him uncomfortable.

"Love is the cruelest of the curses the gods can visit upon us."

Link snorted, "I could not agree more at the moment." He knew she would be gone if he turned around so he just fastened his belt and left the room.

The knights that had gathered were seated at long oak tables groaning with enough food to feed an army. He scanned the crowd trying to put names to their sigils, Sir Vargas, blue ship on black sat at the table with Sir Jesten, grey eagle on blue and Sir Keron, black ox head on red. At the far end of the hall sat Sir Holder, Sir Marke and Sir Rurik, White ram on green, black hound on grey and red flame on white. In a corner dined Sir Ravd, Gold eye on violet, seated with his men around him, it was said that his family had Sheikah blood from some marriage in the ancient past and thus the sigil of the eye. He took a table some distance from the others virtually uninhabited save for some guardsmen on leave before their next watch. They looked at him askance and one snickered lightly but no one said anything for which he was grateful.

After eating his fill he returned to his chambers intending to sleep and forget the disappointing day altogether, but he was intercepted by a thin lithe man about the same height and age as himself. The man bowed, he was doubtlessly a sheikah, his thin ornate leather armor bore the weeping eye and his face was marked in their style.

"Her Highness requests your presence at his majesty's chambers, I have been sent to escort you."

"Lead the way." He sighed. He didn't really feel like speaking with anyone at the moment let alone the princess but it was not his place to refuse the summons of royalty, and he doubted whether or not he could refuse any request she made of him, royal or common. There were many flights of stairs to the king's chambers but finally they arrived at a heavy carven door. The guards outside the door were resplendent in gilt armor their crimson cloaks draped about them and their high crested helms made them look like a bonfire frozen in place. They stepped aside at their approach, "Long live the King." they chorused, their greeting sounding more like a prayer in the current state of affairs. The Sheikah opened the door for him but did not enter.

The King's chambers were as large as the grand hall, his bed sat at the far end of it separated from the rest of the room by an ornate golden fence. Zelda was standing by the window and turned as the doors shut. "My lady, you summoned me?" He asked taking a knee.

"Your Lady...would like to apologize..." she said haltingly, trying to find the right words, "to her most loyal and trusted friend." She came to him lifting his chin with her small delicate hands. "Please stand."

He did, "There is... nothing for my lady to apologize for." She wrapped her arms around him and he held her tight, he forgot everything, his anger, his disappointment, his lowborn station, he let it melt away in their embrace. When they parted she kept her hands on his shoulders.

"I was going to go for a late night ride, as my knight protector it would only be proper that you accompany me." She said her eyes shining.

"Your father..." Link began looking towards the King's bedchamber.

"My father is sleeping, he won't wake till morning." she went to the door, the sheikah still stood outside of it and Link realized he must be the King's attendant. "Raiko, if my father wakes, send for the doctor, I am taking a ride to calm my thoughts."

"Of course, your highness." Came the man's reply.

The night air was crisp and clear, Link felt it clear his head as though he were coming out of a deep fog. The rain had left droplets on the grass that sparkled like diamonds in the moonlight. As soon as they'd cleared the first rise Link brought Epona neck and neck with Zelda's white mare Eilonwey.

The Princess looked up and smiled at him spurring her mare even faster. Link grinned, "Does she think that up-jumped palace pony can outrun us?" He asked leaning down near Epona's ear. She tossed her head as if in scorn and effortlessly eased up alongside her again.

"It's not very knightly to talk to your horse when a lady is present." She laughed.

"It's not very ladylike to take moonlight rides with your sworn protector." He teased she just laughed and flicked the reigns pushing Eilonwey past him again.

They came to an overhang, a ridge that arched over the Zoras River. The ground was still wet on the ridge but below them the mist was rising, with the moon still high it seemed as though a luminous sea had arisen between them and the castle. The peaceful gurgling of the Zoras babbled on beneath them.

"Something terrible is coming, Link."

Link didn't answer and he didn't doubt her. But right now on the moonlit field with the sea of mist below him, things were far from terrible. Right now was where he wanted to be, right here in the moonlight with Zelda.


	2. Chapter II: A Mantis in the Garden

Link awoke the next day, the pleasant memories of the night before seemed somewhat faded, though by what he couldn't say. He felt as though his sleep had been restless and full of dark dreams but for the life of him he couldn't remember what they were. He stretched the stiffness of riding out of his joints and got dressed. He made the decision to skip breakfast, he wanted very badly to leave the palace, something about his thoughts were muddled and slow without the clear sky above him but he knew his duties were here and so he went for a walk in the gardens instead.

The palace gardens was not quite the same as being in the fields but he could feel the sunlight on his face and the soft earth beneath his boots so if he closed his eyes he could almost imagine himself back out in the grass with the breeze in his hair. He tried to remember his dream last night, it had been dark and full of ominous warnings but always shouted from far off and hard to make out, even harder to remember... he had autonomously found a stone bench which he sat in now one hand clenched on his knee and the other beneath his chin, uncomprehendingly watching a mantis devour a Monarch butterfly and listening to the complaints of a convocation of crows that had gathered over the garden shed. Zelda had given him a book once about insects which he had found extremely dull but she had insisted it was good practice as it contained a lot of words that he wouldn't know which had been true. He smiled a little remembering that he had asked the princess later if 'Monarch' had meant that this particular butterfly was the king of butterflies. She had gotten red in the cheeks and haughtily suggested that he read the rest of the book to find the answer, it had taken him a week to finish the book and discover that no, the monarchs weren't kings of anything much other than leaves and another two years before he realized that she had gotten angry with him because the insect book had been a book that she herself had been unable to read at the time and was trying to pawn it off on him to shirk her studies. So aside from teaching him quite a few words he hadn't known before and a bit about butterflies he had learned two important lessons, never pester the princess about something she doesn't know and reading books is always helpful even if the book is extremely dull.

He was shaken from his recollections by a familiar whinny. He rounded the corner to see a harried stable hand trying to walk Epona out by the garden shed. Epona snorted and pulled at her reigns and seemed to obstinately refuse going any further down the path. Putting his fingers to his lips he whistled and with one last tug she wrenched free from the poor lad and trotted up to him.

"Begging your pardon, sir, I was just taking her out for a wash." the boy panted jogging up after her and bowing quickly.

"It's not your fault lad, she's a good horse but stubborn, there's no power in Hyrule that can budge her where she doesn't want to go." He grinned, patting her neck, "It took me seven years just to get her to come inside the town." He handed the reigns over, "Take her back to the stable and I'll come by this evening and give her a washing, if anyone scolds you tell them it's on my orders."

The boy nodded and, looking relieved, trotted her back to the stables.

He headed back towards the palace still wrapped up in thought when he was stopped by Impa, "The princess has been looking for you, sir knight. She is in the throne room." Link thanked her and headed directly there.

Zelda was speaking with the doctor, now wearing one of the birdlike masks to filter out the miasma of the plague. Link waited by the door until she was done and then approached the marble steps standing next to the doctor. "The good doctor has a task that he needs completed to see to the king's health, I told him that you were most capable."

"Yes, he should do just fine." The doctor bowed then turned to him, "Tell me, boy; do you know what the Nightshade plant looks like?"

"Yes." He answered shortly, knowing that if any other knight had stood before him the question would have been prefaced by a '_Sir_'.

"Good, we have run quite out of our stores, could I ask you to gather more? It grows down by the lake, do hurry though the king's illness will worsen if left untreated." Link bowed and took his leave. He was fuming slightly as he descended the steps.

He soon found himself out by the stables and swore to himself, he'd meant to go by the tool shed and pick up a pair of pruning shears as he'd forgotten his dagger at his house and he'd look like a child hacking at plants with a sword he shuddered to think of the lamentable abuse he'd receive should one of the knights see him at it, he could almost hear the snickers of "Sir Bushwhacker" echoing in the great halls. If it were up to him he would not have cared what the other knights and lords thought of him, but it was his reputation and not his prowess that allowed him to keep serving as Knight Protector to the Princess of the Realm and so he was always very careful. He saddled Epona and led her back the winding garden paths towards the shed, which; as he had observed every day since his arrival, bore an overabundance of crows. But not twenty feet from it she balked. Suddenly he remembered the stable hand from earlier that day, it hadn't surprised him that Epona had ignored the boy but it had been years since she had refused to go where he led.

"Don't desert me today, girl. Of all days, not today." but she would not budge another inch towards the shed and as soon as he loosened his grip on the reigns she bucked yanking the straps from him and bolted.

"Too much for you woodsman?" he recognized the imperious tone of Sir Egan, "If you cannot lead your horse perhaps you cannot protect her highness either."

Egan was always bold, and not one to temper his tongue for the sake of manners or propriety, and he was more proud than his station warranted. Link had never liked him but today, today he _hated_ Sir Egan."

"Perhaps you think yourself most worthiest, Sir Egan." On one of his better days he would have left it at that, but today was not one of his better days, "But then again you always did think too much of yourself." he turned and glared at him through steely eyes. If Egan wanted to trade jibes he was more than willing to sink to his level today, and if he wanted to take it further, well, it was _not _one of his better days.

Egan gaped only briefly at the sting of the rebuke, "You go too far, boy."

"My title, _Sir _Egan, is Sir Link. And it is about time I gave you and the rest of our disrespectful brothers in the realm a reason to remember it."

Egan's eyes hardened, Link could tell that those eyes saw only victory, Egan was sure he could win and Link could see why. At the age of fifteen Egan had stood tall as any knight and at twenty he was a head and shoulders taller and twice as broad as himself. But Link had seen Egan fight, he was slow and sloppy, thinking that if he waved his big hammer fists around enough they would eventually destroy his enemies. Link knew he would win, and he would make it hurt, maybe not physically but he would tread Egan's long preened pride in the dirt.

"You may have forgotten, _boy. _But I am your senior, and you, _will, _respect me whether you like it or not."

"You are my senior by a season only, you proud cock." Link spat at his feet, "And in years of knighthood I am your senior by three. Come Egan, where is your pride now, or does it sour to cowardice when it actually comes to the thing?"

He knew that would get to him and it worked, with a bellow like a bull Egan charged. Link danced out of the way of his fist at the last second causing him to topple over clumsily as a hog-tied moblin.

Link waited patiently for him to rise which he did in a trice, screaming obscenities and hurling himself at the young knight. Link clapped his hands about his ears and grabbed him by the collar, wheeling him around he tossed the large knight bodily through the shed.

"If you require more proof of my knighthood, Sir Egan, then come on out and we will have more words!"

Egan did come out, on all fours he scrambled over the splintered boards retching and coughing and looking pale as a sheet. Link immediately dropped his fists, he could smell it too now, he knew it well from the war. This smell was death and it was well seasoned, at least a fortnight. Flies had begun to billow out of the ruined shed like smoke as he fought his way through the foetor, pulling his collar over his nose to block the majority of the stench.

He knew what he was going to see just before he laid eyes on it, the spell had fallen away. For the first time he remembered clearly the course of events since his arrival at the castle and he saw where they lead. Inside the shed, the blood now black and purple staining the black doctor's robes lay the faceless body of the kindly old physician Vrael.

"Egan, summon the guards and alert the knights, His Majesty is in grave danger."

There was no retort, or curse or even a sideways jibe, Egan lit off at a sprint to summon the knights and guardsmen of Hyrule. "It seems we have a mantis in the garden." He muttered to himself. Remembering the warning he had not seen earlier that day.

Link, berating himself mentally for not noticing sooner sprinted up the stairs to the King's chambers five at time. "Guards, open this door at once, His Majesty is in grave danger!" he shouted as he came to the top of the stairs.

They crossed their pikes in front of the door, "No one enters, on the physician's orders." they said resolutely.

"The physician is the one endangering him."

They exchanged looks of incredulity, "I'm sorry Sir Knight, none shall pass."

"In the name of the King, then!" he shouted and heave kicked the place where their ornate pikes met snapping them both in half and splintering the doorframe as the heavy wooden door caved inwards. Reflexively they jumped at him but he was already through the door.

"Link, what is the meaning of this!?" Zelda demanded. She was in the middle of the room, it looked as though she had left her father's bed to see what the shouting was about when he'd burst through the door.

Link ignored her, "Whatever name you call yourself, step away from His Majesty, at once."

"Are you mad, boy?" said the throaty voice, which; now that he heard it with ears untainted by dark magic sounded nothing like Vrael at all.

"The physician's body is in the garden shed, and if the physician is dead then the person who killed him must have a good reason for getting close to the king." He continued to talk as he edged towards a weapon rack bearing the King's hunting spears.

"Link what are you..." Zelda began but as she turned to look back at the physician for confirmation she gasped, the spell over her had been broken. Link knew he was out of time and so did the abomination for it lunged at the King and Link lunged for a spear hurling it through the ornate golden fence that separated them and into the false physician's shoulder.

"Run, your highness!" he shouted over his shoulder as a dark and hollow laugh came from behind the King's bed. The skeletal frame of the abomination drew itself up to it's full intimidating height. Link grabbed another spear from the wall as the thing drew the one he'd thrown out of its shoulder unflinchingly and splintered it in his hand, "What are you, devil?"

The thing chuckled and vanished to reappear moments later inches from his face, "A messenger." it croaked and kicked Link back through the door. The guards drew their swords and charged. The abomination sidestepped the first swipe batting the guard into the wall where he crumpled, he vanished before the next guard could hew him in twain and reappeared behind him grabbing the back of the man's head and driving it into the floor with enough force to send teeth and bits of broken marble flying.

Link gathered himself, there was nothing to be done for the guards at the moment he stared down his enemy, as he stepped back through the door. The vanishing trick he thought he'd seen done by the sheikah before, though it was safer to assume nothing about it until he knew otherwise. At any rate he would have to be fast, he flourished the spear a few times counting the openings in his defense. He charged and as he expected the creature vanished again, he dropped into a roll hearing the thing's arm swipe over him and came upright at the ready and lunged driving the spear point through the thing's other shoulder.

It howled and grabbed the front of his shirt tossing him into the wall. He blinked, trying to make the starbursts subside. He instinctively rolled to the side anticipating another attack and it paid off as he heard the clang of the spear embedding itself into the stone wall. The thing howled again and he grabbed the fallen guards sword and swung it around in a neat arc that brought it down through the creature's collarbone and halfway into its chest. Again it vanished and the sword clattered to the ground. Link snatched up the sword and checked the door just as Raiko appeared in the center of the room.

"Which way did the creature go?" he asked.

"It just now vanished. Protect the king, I'm giving chase." The sheikah bowed his assent.

Link charged down the stairs but didn't make it far before his enemy reappeared above him turning around at the last moment he grappled with the thing, the both of them tumbling together down the stairs.

Link took the brunt of the final fall and grunted as he felt the abomination tumble over him, he reached for his sword but the demon was closer, snatching it up from the marble and drawing back to strike down his fallen foe. Link was saved by Egan who burst through the door at that moment and charged the thing. He would've rammed it into the wall had it not vanished first.

"Egan, get down, you fool!" Link shouted.

He turned and beamed a still cocky but for the first time, genuine smile. The smile was still on his lips as the abomination reappeared behind him and thrust the point of it's sword through his chest. He gurgled something and blood splashed out over his chin. He grasped his sword and flung it from it's scabbard towards Link. He caught it in his right hand and charged the thing.

It kicked Egan off his blade and rounded on Link. Link had never been particularly good with a spear, he didn't like the heft, but no man in Hyrule living, dead or other could match him for swordplay, a fact which the creature quickly discovered as it was forced to block a rapid flurry of strikes. It swung for the barest opening thinking it had found purchase but Link quickly tossed the blade over to his left and brought it up slicing the thing's hand clean off. It bellowed and vanished again just as what would've been the finishing blow sliced through where its head had been only a second earlier.

Egan coughed behind him and Link ran to him, lifting him off the ground so he could speak, "You fought brilliantly." he wheezed.

"And you fought bravely as well, Sir Egan."

"Bravery was never hard for me...honor on the other hand..." he coughed more blood splashing his armor. "I don't know why I loathed you so... seems so foolish now..."

"Rest easy, brother, I'll send for the Hierophants." Link swore, knowing that it wouldn't help.

"Brother..." Egan chuckled, "I was always fighting against you and cursing you and you lie here calling me brother..." he chuckled again dark froth bubbling at the corners of his mouth.

"It is my understanding that brothers often fight."

"Wouldn't know...never had any brothers." He breathed in a sharp shuddering gasp and sighed out his final rattling breath.

"You had at least one." Link said, hoping somehow he'd heard. A clamor ensued as the guards finally entered the room. "Spread out and search every room," He commanded, laying Egan gently back down "the enemy is gone but don't think for a second he has fled, if you see him be quick and watch your back, he can vanish in a moment's notice. Go!"

Link set off in search of the princess, he knew she was probably with Impa, which made him feel a bit better but he needed to see her safe for himself before he did anything about the creature in the palace. He searched the gardens and her tower and found no sign of her, finally he gave up thinking and let his feet take over. Running wherever they led he found himself to the Great Hall and Zelda burst through the opposite doors with Impa and an entourage of knights, she held a light and deadly looking long sword firmly in her hand.

"Link!" she ran to him and threw her arms around his neck briefly, he could hear the knights murmuring but he didn't care, "What was that thing?"

"I don't know, princess, but we should get back to your father's room Raiko is on his own if the beast reappears there."

"Raiko, is one of our people's greatest warriors," Impa spoke, "I wouldn't worry overmuch..." she was interrupted by a clamor as Raiko and the creature both appeared in the center of the hall.

"Clever boy..." the thing growled, "you led me to your friends."

"Honestly, I thought the Hall would be empty, but all the sweeter now there is an audience for your demise." The sheikah's voice was low and dangerous and he held a lethal curved blade as long as he was tall.

The creature growled and hurled a chair at him, Link noticed despairingly that it had grown its hand back, Raiko sliced the chair neatly in two and lunged at him seeming almost to fly along the ground in his speed but his enemy grabbed one of the long wooden tables and swatted him into a column causing long cracks to run up its length.

Link charged, no one else was going to die while he could prevent it, the enemy roared and hurled the table end over end at him, it hit on one end and tumbled over as Link slid under it. The abomination leaped, hoping to pin him and finish it but Link rolled forward passing beneath it as it landed behind him, anticipating another strike he flipped backwards and was gratified to hear the snap of a vicious swipe split the air just beneath him. He landed and plunged his sword to the hilt through the thing's ribs beneath it's arm. That would've been enough to kill any human but Link knew better than to take half measures against this beast. He ducked its lethal backswing and ripped his blade out through its bowels but he wasn't done, as it howled in rage he spun around and thrust again through its breast.

"You think this will kill me?" it screamed he could see the vanishing act was coming again and he tackled it just as it disappeared.

He couldn't breathe or move, everything was black and he could only see everything as though it were made of smoke caught in a gale. His enemy threw him off without a fight chuckling darkly, "You fool, did you think you could follow me here?"

Link couldn't answer it felt as though the weight of all the seas of Hyrule were crushing in on him.

The creature slowly picked up his sword, "Die in despair." it croaked, drawing back the sword.

Before it could strike it was interrupted yet again, this time by Raiko driving his sword through its back, "Forget about me?" he asked pulling the sword out through it's side and severing one of its arms. He rolled around it as the thing slashed at him and grabbed Link by the back of his shirt.

It was like breaking the surface long after you thought you'd drown, Link coughed and blinked at the bright light. He scrambled to his feet and Raiko put a hand on his shoulder, "Easy, warrior." he cautioned, helping to steady him.

Link coughed, drawing air into his collapsed lungs, the shadowy world had left a lingering imprint on his vision and he felt as though he had been for days in a dark cave, the glare overpowering his eyes. "Is it over?" he asked.

"I think not..." the warrior said darkly and the sounds of a pitched battle at the other end of the hall reached him.

"Protect the Princess!" he ordered and promptly collapsed as Raiko vanished from his side. He pressed his fingers into his eyes trying to clear his vision, as blurry shapes came into view he made his way towards the sound of battle.

The abomination was throwing guards and knights alike vanishing to avoid the scouring golden light of Zelda's magic. It didn't take him long to notice a pattern in the chaos. "Clear the room!" He shouted, only a moment too late as a beam of light from Zelda's blade shattered a column and the roof buckled. He grabbed her about the waist and hurled her through the door as huge slabs of stone crashed around them amidst the thing's dark laughter.

"LINK!" the princess was crying. He inhaled and got a mouthful of stone dust, he brought his knees up to his chest and forced the stone slab up and off.

As he rose from the debris he saw Zelda in the grasp of the monster. Her arms were pinned behind her and it covered her mouth with the other keeping her from crying out further, "Follow if you dare, hero." its dark laughter echoed in the collapsed hall as it vanished once again.

Link's jaw clenched, he sensed rather than saw Raiko reappear, "Take me to his Majesty's chambers."

"Close your eyes." He advised, and then the crushing closeness and roaring silence.

He felt the air and opened his eyes, the brightness was still overwhelming but only for a moment. The king's bedchamber was spacious and had an ingenious wall of windows that would slide open, transforming the closed room into an open covered balcony. The abomination held the princess out over the edge, his hand around her face, so the tips of her boots could scarcely find purchase on the slick polished marble.

It didn't take the thing's explanation for him to see the situation it had created, "A choice hero...the fair princess," he dangled her out further over the edge causing one of her feet to slip off and dangle over the abyss, her eyes, shining with fear implored him, "Or the good King."

"You seem to have not counted on a second person..." Link observed.

"You seem to think that changes things..." it croaked, "I wonder...I suppose we shall soon see..."

"Raiko, you are the King's attendant, you are loyal to him?" Link asked not taking his eyes from the princess for a moment. The warrior nods. "Good." Link leapt at the creature, it vanished at once, and so did Raiko. Link reached the edge just as the Princess' balance gave out. He reached her just in time yanking her upright by the front of her dress. Their eyes met briefly and he, unable to stop his momentum toppled over the edge.

"RAIKO!" he heard her cry as the world tipped upside down. He closed his eyes, he had failed in many things but, as long as the Sheikah's sword was true, he had done his duty to the last.

He barely felt the brush of fingertips against his shoulder but he noticed the cessation of the wind roaring past. He opened his eyes and was blinded momentarily, he could hear sobs, and the soft soughing of the wind. He stood as his vision cleared he saw the Princess sitting disheveled by the bed, biting down on the back of her hand to suppress sobs. Raiko stood on the balcony looking out and seeing nothing.

"What did you do?" he breathed, then, the full impact of the situation dawning horribly over him, he roared, "WHAT DID YOU DO!?"

The sheikah turned, in his eyes was a mixture of such profound sorrow and hollowness that it stung him from berating him further, "I serve the royal family." he said, barely above a whisper, his voice husky and dry and he vanished as the blood red disk of the sun disappeared over the low hills to the west.


	3. Chapter III: Dark as the Grave

Link had never liked wearing armor, even the light leathers he was wearing were hot and stuffy to him and the ankle length tabards were restricting and the cloak was heavy and all this was made worse by the fact that it was all black as coal.

But he was not thinking about his own discomfort, he was in a fog, a profound sense of failure followed him as he made the long slow walk to the Kakariko Graveyard.

The priest stood at the head of the coffins, also being buried was Sir Grey who had died when the ceiling collapsed and Sir Egan, both of whom had been born in Kakariko and were granted posthumous honors by the Queen Regent Zelda to be buried in the royal graveyard. "The rising sun will eventually set, a newborn's life will fade... from sun to moon... moon to sun, give peaceful rest to the honored dead." Pipers and minstrels began the funeral dirge.

Zelda stepped forward and the great stone slid back to reveal the royal crypt. Link stepped forward along with seventeen others, six for each coffin. He was a member of the King's final honor guard, he lifted the coffin and bore it down into the depths, past the ancient tombs of King Gustaf, Daltus and Harkinian the first and on through the weathered ages, the statues glowering dolefully down upon them from above their moldering tombs. At the end of the long hallway the newly carved statue of King Argus du Hyrule.

When they emerged rain pelted the mourners at the other graves and black whirling clouds churned overhead. Link took no notice of the weather, he walked past houses where ashes had been spread outside every door, the entire kingdom was in mourning, a continent away Lucas would be just now receiving the news that he was now King of Hyrule. Link wondered what was going through _his_ mind. Did the new king blame him for his father's death? If so it was not nearly as much as he blamed himself.

The disconsolate procession was interrupted by a sudden scream, he looked to where a blanched woman pointed and saw a swirl of noxious green light gathering over the castle. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Dael unsheathing Wastrel, his father's sword, with some difficulty. "Dael, you need to stay and look after your mother and sisters." He said, grabbing the boy by the shoulder before he could charge past.

"The banners are still called, it would bring shame on House Grey if our banner was not with the royal procession." The boy said his eyes bright with anger.

"Your father taught you much of honor and duty, but a man's duty is to his family until he swears his oaths and you are yet too young to bend a knee. Look after the girls, House Grey has lost enough on my account." Dael made to protest but some flash of reason made him lower his sword.

"I will ride out in three days." he said resolutely.

Link put a hand on his shoulder, "There will come a day when we ride out together, Sir Grey and on that day I shall be proud to join my banner with yours."

Dael nodded and Link mounted Epona, quickly making his way to the head of the column.

The pale ghostly light hung like a pallid shroud over the town, centered on the castle. The great stone causeway trembled with the passing of so many, Link chanced a look back at the Princess, her face was unreadable but he sensed in her the same fears he felt churning in his own gut. Fears he would never put a voice to until he could see the it with his own eyes. But in his mind he saw it as though it were yesterday; the black clouds, the drawbridge falling the pitch black figure... he spurred Epona faster still. _Please let it be anything else,_ he prayed silently.

The very warmth drained out of his blood as he stepped into a harrowing mockery of the bright palace interior. A foetid greenish mist eddied cloyingly about their ankles and the chandeliers burned a bright ghostly green, casting the entry in a pallid, eerie glow. Deep malevolent laughter echoed off the walls and Link's heart sank.

"It can't be." the Princess breathed.

Link stepped between her and the far door, "Show yourself!" He commanded.

Echoing footsteps from the inky blackness beyond gradually brought the black armored figure into the ghostly light. "I am here, boy. Despite your all your efforts and struggles, here I stand." He inhaled deeply, "breathing the free air again... though it shan't be free for much longer." with a flourish of his cloak a polished obsidian throne appeared in the hall and he took his seat, "For too long you wretched Hylians have enjoyed the sweet air of this country, for too long you have been strangers to the wrath of the burning suns and sting of the desolate winds that lie beyond your fair green hills, but no more. I am Justice, no matter what you or your gods or anyone else thinks, I am Equity. I will bring you desolation you have never known, I will bring the harsh walls of my reality crashing down upon you, and you will know despair before the end... as I know despair."

"Enough!" Link said, lowering his stance, "I will do everything in my power to ensure that your undeserved taste of freedom is as brief as possible." He swore.

For a moment time stopped, as it always did for him before a battle, like the eerie silence before a summer squall, he felt his breath roar in his ears, slow and even. "Princess, gather the knights at the temple... I will join you when I can."

"Link..." she began, but she stopped herself. She understood, there was only one weapon that could save them now. Link would buy her the time she needed, "For Hyrule..." she whispered, he nodded signifying that he'd heard. "Retreat to the temple!" she ordered and the guards and knights turned only to find the demon king blocking their path.

Link dropped from above slashing at his foe causing Ganondorf to spin out of the way. Zelda and the guards used the opening it provided to flee the hall casting one last desperate look back. _How could the gods have allowed this?_ She thought to herself.

Link faced down Gannondorf armed with only the cold castle-forged steel in his left hand. Gannondorf chuckled and unclasped his crimson cloak which was consumed by black flame as it fell to the ground. "You have become a skilled tactician in my absence I see." He complimented, conjuring a darkly shining blade out of the air, "It matters little though, I will be done with you long before they reach that wretched blade." He charged and swung for the hero's head, Link knew better than to cross blades with dark magic and rolled under the swipe, turning on his heel he slashed at Gannondorf's exposed back cutting deep. Gannondorf only laughed mirthlessly as the wound instantly closed. "You do look rather dashing all in black, I must say; you finally appear before me as a worthy opponent." He spun without warning, slashing wildly. Link backflipped out of the way of the attack but as soon as his boots touched the ground he saw the Demon King rocketing towards him leaving a trail of green and black flame in his wake. Link crouched and felt the deadly thrust tear through his right shoulder; ignoring the pain he put his boot on Ganon's chest plate and rolled backwards launching his opponent into the air.

Gannondorf flipped around midair and stayed suspended about three meters off the ground, "Your skills have improved, boy; but this ends now." He extended his hand where a dark nebulous energy was already crackling, with a bloodthirsty grin curling the corners of his mouth he sent a barrage of deadly streamers streaking towards his foe.

Link leapt backwards dodging two then juked right missing another by a hair and rolled behind a pillar as the unholy cascade of missiles began to blow the stone to bits. As the pillar shattered he rolled from behind it and flung his sword at his suspended foe. It struck the Demon King in the shoulder ceasing the onslaught of dark magic and causing him to fall to the ground. Link seized his opportunity and charged his downed opponent. Cursing, Gannondorf rose to his feet at the last moment and swung to split the hero in two; but Link was too quick, he flipped over the swipe and before his enemy could recover heave kicked him into the crumbling wall where the shattered pillar once stood. Unable to take any more punishment the wall crumbled burying the Demon King beneath it.

For a moment only the fading echoes of falling stones could be heard in the hall, then a low rumbling began and an evil light began to shine from beneath the rubble, a roar of timeless rage echoed through the halls as the rubble exploded outwards. Eyes glowing like the embers of hell scoured the hall, but the hero was nowhere to be found. Power rippled the air around him and blasted outward in a hot wind, the echoes of his sustained rage echoed throughout the crumbling halls of Hyrule Castle and Gannondorf vanished in a burst of acrid black smoke.


	4. Chapter IV: Despair

Link held his hand to his wound, the blood was flowing freely now and he could feel it running into his armor. He tore the thick cloth of his cloak and attempted to staunch the deep gash in his shoulder. His vision dimmed and he had to keep blinking to clear his eyes. He scarcely noticed that he'd reached the temple until he felt hands gently taking him off of Epona.

Someone was calling his name, "Link..." he could hear the desperation in their voice, "LINK!" He started back to full consciousness. The princess had her arms around his shoulders and he'd been half lying on the temple lawn in a haze of pain.

"He's coming!" He spoke before he remembered exactly who he was speaking of and when he remembered it spurred him into action. "Is the door open?" He asked as he made towards the temple.

"Yes, but..." The Princess began.

"Good."

"Link your shoulder." she protested.

he waved away her concern, "It doesn't matter."

His footsteps echoed in the resplendent marbled chapel. He needed only to cross that hallowed hall and take up the power to smite his foe, and this time he would do everything in his power to make it permanent.

He had just set his foot on the bottom step leading up to the sacred Blade of Evil's Bane when the hall shook and the ancient wooden door fell from their hinges to crash down into the chapel. Link didn't need to look to know what that meant, he leapt up the steps four at a time but before his fingers could grasp the blued steel hilt a blast knocked him away from the plinth and he tumbled back down the marble steps. He struggled to his knees, blood dripping from a new cut on his lip and his shoulder screamed in pain. Zelda lay crumpled against a pillar near the door. He looked up at the plinth if he could just reach... his thoughts were interrupted as Gannondorf planted a heavy boot on his back.

"I am sorely tempted to let you claim that blade, just so I could crush all the hope out of this land and plunge it through your heart...but I think not. I think your struggle ends here, hero." He stooped and picked Link up by the throat.

Link gasped for air, "The struggle...for Hyrule...will...never...be over!" He drove his fist as hard as he could into Ganon's jaw. His enemy's grip loosened and he fell to the floor and immediately kicked him in the gut sending the Demon King sprawling. He scrambled towards the plinth, his hand closed around the sacred brand and his vision dimmed, his grip loosened unbidden, a deep and unwholesome pain forced him to his knees. He looked down, a blade blackened with blood protruded from his gut. As he watched it was wrenched free and a spurt of blood splashed onto the marble plinth.

"LINK!" he heard the princess scream. He reached again for the blade and the dark steel came down piercing his hand and pinning it to the stone.

"I admire your will, boy. When they tell of the day that Hyrule fell your bravery will not be forgotten." Gannondorf's hated voice floated over him. He pulled the blade free again and picked him up by the front of his armor. The next thing he knew he was sailing through the air, the back of his head struck the black granite altar and stars burst in front of his eyes. He rolled to a stop in the midst of the knights of Hyrule. He coughed and blood splashed over his chin.

In a moment the ones surrounding him were flung aside and Gannondorf stood over him, gloating and terrible, his hands crackling with dark energy. "Now it ends..." he raised his fist but before anything could happen his face twisted in pain, the shining point of a thin sword pushed through his breast. He spun striking the princess to the ground.

"Just die!" she cursed spitting at him through tears.

He reached back and drew the ornate sword from his back, the wound closing instantly, "You thought this would kill me?" he asked, as though he found the thought offensive.

_The princess still fights, get up you fool, if you are to die here her last memory of you will not be lying on your back, _He coughed up more blood and raised his arm. He felt someone take hold of it. He could barely see anything but he recognized Keith's voice as he whispered, "For Hyrule."

"For Freedom." he whispered back and more blood dripped off of is chin. He had exausted his energy, he couldn't move he could only stand his arms hanging uselessly at his sides.

Gannondorf looked at the princess's shining blade in his hands, "This is the cost of your insolence..." he said darkly to the princess leveling her sword at the hero he drew it back and drove it forward.

For a single moment Link locked eyes with the princess and then he felt a cold shiver pass through him and his vision blinked out.

The hero's back arched as he fell, so slowly it seemed, to the floor. A scarlet streamer flowed from his chest like a ribbon. As his body hit the stone the Princess had already fainted but she _heard,_ she heard the echoing thud of her heart dying, heard the sound of all of Hyrule's hope crumbling, it was such a soft and unremarkable sound she thought

As Gannondorf stood over the hero's lifeless corpse all he could think was that this was not how he'd envisioned it. As he scattered the remaining guards with a single blast of his dark magic, he envisioned a heroic rider, wielding that hated brand charging with the hopes of Hyrule riding with him. He imagined himself shattering that shining blade forever, of soiling the fields with that hero's blood and watching the cursed Hylians wail in their despair as he smote their blessed land once and for all. He looked down again at the dead hero, this was reality now, another hero at another time and maybe his vision could have been true but the boy had too strong the stink of destiny around him, he had doubted it once and had it not been for the Triforce of power it would have been his ruin. He had come to the realization during his long imprisonment that if he were to ever bring destruction to Hyrule then her hero could never lay his hands on that blade.

He lifted the unconscious princess and vanished before the knights could regain consciousness and annoy him further.

His dark powers had done their work in his absence, his tower again clawed at the skies of Hyrule, a bastion of darkness where he could work the destruction he would visit upon this land so blessed by the gods that had scorned him.

"Now begins the age of Darkness." His voice echoed darkly in every corner of Hyrule and everywhere it was heard there was fear.

Black clouds covered the land, stretching out like an infection from the tower.

Doctor Mizumi, looked out from the observation deck at the top of his laboratory, he saw and trembled at the shadow on the horizon, but more troubling and closer at hand was the orange haze that had appeared over the Gerudo desert. He walked slowly back into the lab and locked the door and shuttered the windows. He lowered himself slowly into his chair and resumed his work, all the while telling himself it was likely nothing.

In the secret recesses of Hyrule's forest the child-like Kokiri tremble in their homes. They can feel the threads of darkness being woven and it had been long since they had heard from their guardian spirit the Deku Tree or their friend Saria.


	5. Chapter V: Grey Morning

Dael heard a great groan and looked out of his window to see the seal on the well burst into flame. He rushed to the upstairs rooms to warn Lady Impa but she was already gone. Grabbing his father's sword he stepped out into the storm and locked the door behind him. Whatever happened Link had been right, a man's first duty was to his family, his mother and sister would be safe in Lady Impa's house he was sure. As he made for the well he heard a padding rustling noise from towards the village gate. He turned to see a legion of phantoms and shambling horrors and leading them was a familiar nightmare.

Dael leveled his sword at the thing the way he'd seen Link do, it was heavy and he struggled to hold it steady. The skeletal abomination approached him, "I am Dael of the House Grey of Kakariko, you killed my father Sir Damus Grey."

"Is that true?" the thing croaked, then tilted back its head and uttered a creaky coughing terrible imitation of laughter, "How wonderful." It brought the back of its hand down on the side of his head. As he lay in the grass losing consciousness he heard the thing's command, "Take all of those young enough to work, slay the elderly and mount their bodies on spikes."

_Link where are you?_ He wondered as darkness overtook him.

Zelda stood on the windowsill, the howling wind whipped through her hair, it stank of desperation and despair. The cries from the town below had not ceased since the Demon King had destroyed the temple three days ago. On the first day she had spent every waking moment begging the gods for an answer, why had they allowed this? Why was the Evil they had worked so hard to seal away free to roam Hyrule once again? Why had they let their greatest champion fall? And now she had no more questions and no more patience for the gods; if it was their will that Hyrule burn then she would let it burn, but she would not watch. She refused to be a silent witness to the destruction that Ganon would visit upon her home and her people; she refused to live in a world without hope, a world in which her heart had already died.

She raised her gaze to the blackened sky, "If there be any mercy left in the gods, we shall meet again soon." She promised and pitched herself into the swirling abyss.

She woke on her bed, the window still stood open and the wind howled mercilessly outside still carrying the distant cries of the townsfolk below. Bitter tears fell onto the satin sheets, everything had been taken from her, love, hope, faith, now even release from this torture was denied her.

Dael slogged through the mud and filth, the wail of tortured spirits rose up from the black mire. Vast slave camps that now filled Hyrule's cities and towns churned out these shambling spirits of tortured life. The vaults of the ancient well in Kakariko had been torn open and exposed to the wretched half-light of the cursed skies. The muck they waded through was a mixture of the blood from the villages elders and infirm that had been slain and now ran in rivulets through the soil to the stone ducts in the center of town where it mixed with mud and bone meal and the black magicks of the cursed Revenants who oversaw the unwholesome work. Dael's stomach churned as he watched the unholy shapes of the writhing spirits as they were bound in physical form by the wretched energies that slithered through the muck.

He felt it before he heard it, the raising of the hairs on the back of his neck and arms was a warning and he hurriedly tried to plug his ears but it was too late as the black scream of a spirit who had reached the ultimate edge of suffering and surrendered itself to the wretched form in which it was imprisoned filled his head and forced him to his knees. It continued almost interminably until a Revenant appeared and reached into the mire pulling the skeletal form of the spirit from the churning mass. It's face was covered in a gossamer veil for which Dael was glad. To look upon the visage of a Re-Dead was to leave one's faculties entirely. Usually the slave drivers gave the poor soul three days to wake and resume work but more often than not they were hoisted up on pikes with the elders so their blood could feed this unholy pit.

He felt the Revenant's cold grip hoist him up from the foetid mire and put him on his feet. "Back to work!" it's breath rasped and left a cold mist on the air that smelled of sulfur. Dael gripped his spade until he could feel the grains of the rough wood dig into his hands. He was at his limit, if he didn't do something now he would never have the strength to do it.

He spun driving the point of the spade through the dark creature's chest. It burst into greenish flame and disappeared in a flurry of embers. The newly birthed Re-Dead made to let loose its paralyzing shriek again but Dael whipped the spade around and parted its head from its wretched shoulders. The body of the thing slumped into the muck twitching unnervingly.

Dael heard the moblins roar from the top of the pit and narrowly missed getting impaled by a spear as it stuck into the sludge beside him. He wrenched it free, "To the sides!" He called, "Seize your freedom!" He began to climb the narrow scaffolding, only death would keep him prisoner now. He could feel the scaffolding shake as others heeded his call to arms and he redoubled his speed. A fat moblin waited for him at the top, he thrust his new spear through its gut closing his eyes as the creature squealed gushing hot black bile in a fountain onto his face. He clambered over the top and rolled forward as two moblin leapt to restrain him, one dove wholly off the scaffolding and fell shrieking into the pit, landing with a bone splintering crunch and the other followed with some help from Dael's spear through its throat.

Hearing a cry he looked and saw a large moblin clubbing the slaves to death as they reached the top of the pit. With a shout he heaved his spear at it striking it under the arm just as it was raising it's club to crush another slave. The moblin roared in pain and brought it's arm down sharply snapping the shaft in two. Dael sprinted at it, sliding under its vicious club he pulled the spear point from its side and spun around driving it as hard as he could into the back of his knee. The moblin roared and went down on one knee, Dael seized his opportunity and threw his shoulder into the mammoth beast's back trying to push him over. He may as well tried to move the mountain but before the moblin could rise, slaves climbing up the scaffolding grabbed the front of its armor and pulled it over sending it roaring into the pit. He helped some of the slaves up and someone shoved a sickle into his hand. "TO THE GATE!" He shouted and the small band surged towards the exit.

As the gate came into sight Dael heard the screams of Hylians, as he rounded the corner he saw an all too familiar shape as it killed the slaves trying to escape. In its had flashed a familiar brand, Dael recognized the sing of Wastrel as it tore through the flesh of his townsfolk and he felt his blood boil. Circling around to the mountain gate he climbed the roofs of the houses there and as he neared the edge he could see the demon below him. With a cry he leapt from the roof and as the thing drew its arm back to slay another Hylian he swung clean through it.

For a moment their eyes met and Dael saw them burning with hatred, "You." the thing rasped. Dael grabbed wastrel from the ground and lunged for the thing's heart but it vanished into thin air forcing him to drive the point into the ground to avoid impaling a fellow slave. Dael searched the fray for a sign of the devil but it seemed it had retreated for now and as the moblin regrouped a hail of spears hurried them out of the gates.

Dael paused at the bottom of the steps, he checked the face of every slave as they ran for freedom, checked each woman for sign of his mother and sister but they were nowhere among the freed slaves. He looked back up the stairs and saw a mob of moblin clambering down after them, eyes gleaming and teeth gnashing. He would find them but to be of any use to them he had to remain free, with one last bitter look he turned and ran towards the river.

The runoff from the foul necromancy of the slave camp had turned the river black and Dael's heart sank. They would never get everyone over the bridge before they were overtaken. He found two men he knew to be fierce fighters; Diek, a large and burly woodsman, was the easiest to find being a head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the crowd and Teman, once a famous swordsman under his father's banner, was at the back of the crowd.

"We must buy them time if they are to escape!" Dael shouted over the screams of the crowd. They nodded and joined him at once, "ACROSS THE BRIDGE, QUICKLY!" Dael shouted as the slaves made for the river.

Dael turned just in time to dodge a spear from the Moblin hoard. Teman claimed it whirling it around a few times to test it's heft, "I am proud to die under the banner of House Grey." He said earnestly, clapping him on the shoulder, "Many owe their freedom to you, your father would be proud."

Dael nodded his thanks, but he did not plan to die here, whatever it took he planned to see his mother and sister freed and the demon that had killed his father dead. As the charging line of Moblin met them he shouted and plunged in.

He soon learned that fighting in battle like this was very different than the skirmish that had led them to freedom. Moblin were everywhere and he was almost immediately surrounded he began to despair as first Diek and then Teman black blows that would have ended him and he had yet to fell a moblin, then he heard Teman shouting over the grunts and roars of their enemies, "Just move forward, don't try to block every blow!" Dael surged forward again this time attacking with single mindedness immediately in front of him he immediately felled two and then he saw a small Moblin lunge at him from the right, before he could move to block Diek's hand axe had crushed it's skull, he saw another Moblin draw back to impale the woodsman on his spear and Dael thrust his sword through its throat.

_So this is what it's like to fight in a battle_, Dael thought as he ripped his blade out of the side of the Moblins neck and blocked a blow that would've split Teman's skull. Teman returned the favor by ducking under his arm and spearing the Moblin directly in front of him.

Dael looked back for a moment at the bridge, the men and women with weapons had formed a line on the near side and were cutting down the few Moblin that got past them. As Dael turned back to the battle he received the price of his distraction as a Moblin thrust its spear into his thigh. Dael gritted his teeth and went down on one knee. He saw a Moblin tackle Teman to the ground and Diek was thrown from the fray after taking a hit from a giant hammer. Dael saw the Moblin that had stuck him standing over him ready to end it and he thrust his sword into it's gut and slashed it out the other side. The moblin toppled onto him and he grunted in pain he could feel the Moblin's foul viscera slipping around on top of him. He tried in vain to lift the hulking corpse off of him and then he saw another, a smaller Moblin with an evil looking hand axe and a wicked grin curling its foul lips, he struggled to free his arms as the axe was raised.

All of a sudden he felt the ground beneath him shake. The moblin above him looked off to the right just as an arrow was shot clean through its skull. He saw a sable mare jump clean over him and the dead Moblin scattering the rest like chaff. Diek hobbled into view and with three strokes a piece hewed the dead giant's legs and arms off rolling the limbless torso off of him at last. Dael took his hand, "Is it Link?" he asked.

Diek shrugged, "I didn't see the hero's banner but Keith and sir Ravd is among them." Dael saw the violet banner flying from the knight on the sable mare and recognized Sir Ravd's sword Neverspring flashing in the failing light.

"Sir Grey." Keith rode up behind him on his red stallion. With the reigns of a storm grey gelding in his hands.

Dael recognized it immediately, "Reuben!"

"I think he rightly belongs to you now." Keith smiled, "We were on patrol when we heard the ruckus from the village, I suspected you might be behind it and sent Danig to fetch him. We are taking the ones you freed to the forest's edge where we have set up our camp, it isn't much but if you still have fight left in you we could use a few more good swords."

Dael looked as Sir Ravd mopped up the stragglers and his men harried the fleeing Moblin with arrows. The Knight sounded three blasts on a shiny black ram's horn and they fell back, thundering across the bridge. "I think a fight is exactly what I need." Dael said, mounting Reuben and gripping Keith's forearm warmly.


	6. Chapter VI: Ravd

The camp was just inside the forest great roots formed the walls and tents had been strung up between them, low fires served for cooking, and a few lanterns kept the area dimly lit. In the branches he occasionally saw the cherubic faces of the childlike Kokiri as they curiously observed the workings of their new neighbors. He had been given a set of leathers as well as a strong bow and a quiver of arrows both of which he kept slung on his saddle. Teman and Diek had also been outfitted along with those that were still willing to fight from the slave camp. The women had busied themselves embroidering black windmills onto whatever scraps of grey cloth they could find and, ragged though it was, Dael was made to look like a Knight Commander in earnest and tattered pennants flew from his tent, adorned his armor, and were raised by his men.

When he walked throughout the camp eyes did not pass over him as they used to when he had been his father's son, now he was Sir Grey, and their gaze lingered with respect as they scanned the black windmill and observed his bearing. But the confidence born of his swift victory at the slave camp soon waned and he focused all of his efforts on finding his mother and sister and rallying a decisive strike against the slave camps.

"If we strike soon and fast we can take the village and free the other prisoners!" he pestered Keith again.

"Kakariko is too close to castle town, we could never hold it and we would be trapped between Gannondorf's forces in the mountain, in the Zora's Domain and in the Castle. It would be suicide." Keith said.

"We don't have to hold it, just free the slaves. They will not expect another attack so soon, it is the perfect opportunity. There are men there who will fight."

"If they were so willing to fight then why did they not fight with you?" Dael had no answer. Keith put a hand on his shoulder, "I know you wish to see your mother and sister safe, and I swear by all the gods I will do whatever I can to make that happen, but I cannot risk a full on attack on any fortified work camp until we are better manned and better equipped. For now we shall continue to hit the slaver camps and free the slaves before they make it to Ganon's fortresses." He went into the central tent letting the flap swing shut behind him and leaving Dael to fume.

He walked through camp without really having a direction, raging silently within himself when he heard the dark smooth voice of Sir Ravd, "You are Sir Grey's boy."

He whipped around, "I am a boy no longer, Sir." He said with more venom than he'd meant, he reminded himself it was not Sir Ravd he was angry with.

But Sir Ravd seemed to take no notice, he let his gaze linger on him for a moment, sizing him up, "So I see..." he said. He moved down the rough hewn bench he was sitting on to make room for him. Dael sat and Ravd handed him a tankard of ale, Dael was about to decline but before he could form the words it was shoved into his hands and he found himself drinking. It was warm and thick and heady and it calmed his nerves a bit. "In such dark times men of action always seek to fight, that is why men drink, to cool their nerves before the desires of their hearts cause them to lose their heads." Dael nodded and finished the ale. "My men and I are riding south, the Hylia bridge carries thousands of slaves a day to work the salt mines. If we were to destroy that bridge the slaver's would have to walk far around the lake to bring the slaves to the mines it would be the perfect opportunity for us to add to our numbers."

Dael accepted another ale, "Sir Ravd, it would be my honor to join my banner to yours." he met his tankard with Ravd's and they both quaffed it down.

Dael had looked up to Ravd in his youth. Ravd was young but well respected and a fierce fighter, he held all the lands east of Kakariko to the Dagger Sea and his name was well known. His father had always wanted him to squire for Sir Link, but Dael had always held the secret hope that he would be requested to squire for Sir Ravd, He had loved Link like a brother and had wept bitterly when Keith had told him of his death but Link had held few friends among the knights and owned no lands outright and his lowborn station kept him from carousing the way that other knights did. Sir Ravd was everything Dael had always envisioned in a Knight of Hyrule, bold and canny he was a hero to his men, he had their respect and they his. Every man in Ravd's entourage was expected to stand on his own or not at all, Ravd taught Dael how to make his way in a throng of enemies without having to rely on his comrades for support. He showed him how he used his horn to direct his men in battle and how battles unfolded when man met man and the steel and sweat and sinew all collided and how to patch holes in your defense when your line was wavering.

Dael had learned how to fight from watching his father and Sir Link spar and some from the master at arms Sir Aaron when they were at the palace. But when he and Ravd sparred he was tossed aside time and again. "This is how a true knight fights." He would say and take a close high stance holding his sword aloft. And no matter how Dael approached he could not find purchase. "Take heart young Sir Grey," He said after Dael had taken a sulky seat at the fire, "I have been at the sword for many years, you will fell many Moblin even fighting as you do."

After three days of traveling by wild country and staying close to the trees they could see the lake on the horizon, or all that was left of it. Black water was far down the banks leaving a massive mire where the clear blue waters of the Hylia once sparkled and high iron banded walls encircled it, warning off intruders.

"How will we get through their defenses?" Dael asked.

"We have brought more than enough powder kegs to destroy the bridge, I would say we can spare a few for breaching their walls. Can I rely on you and your men to plant the charge."

Dael nodded, all too eager to prove himself, "We'll set out after sundown under the cover of darkness."

Ravd snorted, "Use your eyes, Dael; see their lights?" he pointed to the high wooden towers with signal fires. "If we attack at night they will be able to direct the flow of battle, wait until just before dawn. In the light of day we will have equal ground."

"But at dawn will you not be charging into the sun?" Dael asked pointing at the eastern horizon opposite them.

"Let me worry about that, just get those powder kegs in place and signal with your bannerman when you're ready." He rose and trekked back down the rise to join his men at the fire.

Dael returned to his own men and told them of the plan.

"But how will Sir Ravd see our signal in the dawn?" Teman asked

"If he does not charge we will be slaughtered at the wall!" Diek protested.

Dael calmed them by raising his hand, "I trust Sir Ravd, if any of you wish to back out now is your chance." He looked each of them in the eye, he could tell there was still doubt, he himself wasn't very sure of the plan but Ravd as counting on him and he could not fail now, not if he ever wished to free his mother and sister.

"We are with you, Sir Grey. To the death." Teman said grasping his forearm.

"To the death." the other men chorused their agreement.

"Then sleep well, we will be rising early."


	7. Chapter VII: Seller of Souls

In the ruins of the once resplendent temple lay the broken body of Hyrule's greatest hero, pale and wan, his eyes staring up through the ruined ceiling to the cursed sky above. The spirits of the temple kept an endless unseen vigil over the hero's pall, waiting for him to surrender to death, for his spirit to join theirs. How many days had it been? Six? Eight? Hundreds? Even the youngest of them were far too ancient to measure so small a time.

A clattering sound drew their gaze to the body as a small pebble rolled off of his chest and bounced along the cracked marble floor.

_The wind?_ Asked one in the ineffable language of spirits which is light and feeling and the slightest breath of air.

_How could it be anything else?_ Another discouraged, though its voice was not without doubt.

They moved closer to the body, _The hand!_ Exclaimed one of the youngest. All looked, the symbol of the triangle pulsed softly and dimly.

"I hear you..." The voice was so soft and reedy that the slightest breeze might have drowned it out.

The spirits scattered, _Not dead? Not dead? How is this possible?_

_He must be dead or he wouldn't hear us._ One of the oldest reminded.

_He is just on the edge of death, look you can see him talking!_

"If you can help...please" the voice said again.

_It is him..._ They moved closer again and exchanged looks. _How _can _we help? _It asked.

_We cannot, we are but the slightest vapor and fading thought, we cannot..._

"Please..." The hero begged again.

The youngest of them all who had been a thousand and fifty when the Goddess Hylia wrenched the land from the ground and sent it skyward knelt down and grabbed the hero's hand. One by one they took hold and added their strength to his.

Link could not even feel his arm anymore and his eyes saw only darkness but with every fiber of his spirit he willed his arm to move.

Slowly, painfully his hand moved inch by agonizing inch across his chest until, at last he rolled over. Thick ropes of blood, black and clotted with death, fell from his lips to the dusty floor, but his arm moved forward, his fingers clenched until they caught on a crack and he pulled himself forward.

Link felt nothing and he saw nothing, he only willed himself to keep moving forward. There was a sound like music in his head, it was the call of destiny, the Master Sword was calling out; Evil had returned to Hyrule and it sought the hand that could wield it. Link followed that call until it filled his head, it was so loud he thought that surely his head would burst. He reached up, this time he did feel the cold steel pommel and the ancient worn leather, every crevice and curve seemed to be sculpted especially for him, how well he remembered this blade. His vision came back foggily and so did his pain but he fought through it, and with all his strength he lifted the sacred blade from its plinth. Holy fire cascaded down upon him, healing his wounds and renewing his strength.

Still weak he staggered out of the ruined temple, he sat outside the steps, slumped against the ancient stone. Wails and cries and the cracking of whips assailed his ears but he had no more strength to move.

When Link awoke it was with the realization that he was being dragged, with a surge he realized that most of his strength had returned and he kicked one of the unknown assailants off eliciting a feminine squeal.

He rounded on the other, a thick burly man, and picked him up by the collar, slamming him into a nearby wall.

"Link don't!" the girl from before hissed.

"Rena?" He looked round but before he could see her stars exploded in front of his eyes he rolled forward and rounded again on the man who had drawn a short stubby club from his ragged cloak.

Rena stepped in between them as Link reached for his sword, "Enough, Janus! He's a friend!" The man sullenly stuffed his weapon back from whence it came.

"Rena, what are you doing here? I told you and Dael to remain in the village." Link accused in hushed tones.

"And so we would have done, had the slavers not come for us." She snorted, flipping her grimy hair disdainfully.

"What of Dael?"

He immediately wished he hadn't asked, her lip trembled and she fell to her knees sobbing quietly, "They came in the night," she sniffed once she had mastered herself, "Dael went out with father's sword, but... I saw it from the window... the same devil that killed father, he..." she bit back another sob.

Link clenched his fist, he had failed everyone. The house of Grey, a prestigious line going back for centuries had been extinguished in the span of a week, all because he hadn't been strong enough. His reverie was interrupted by heavy boots on the flagstones nearby and the man Rena had called Janus ushered them into a side alley.

They cut through back alleys and over roofs until they were within sight of the gate.

"Damn," Link swore as he stole a glance over the peak of a roof, "There are iron bars on that gate six inches thick! How will we get through?"

"Janus has a friend..." Rena said, motioning for him to descend a nearby ladder, he did so with difficulty, his stiff joints protesting painfully.

"Who is this friend?" He asked.

By way of answering she motioned him to crawl through a gap in the guardhouse wall.

"Back so soon, child?" a wispy ephemeral voice floated through the door. Link blinked to adjust his eyes to the gloom. A short, frail looking man in traveler's rags wrapped from head to foot save for a large glowing red eye which leered out eerily from the deep shadows beneath his hood.

"We found a fr..."

The spectral man raised his cane to silence her, "I wasn't talking to you, girl." He drew closer to Link moving no air as he walked.

"I... don't believe we've met before." Link said with some uncertainty. Of course it was a lie, _he_ remembered the Poe salesman, but that had been a different life, no one remembered that, or so he thought.

"Is that so...I don't believe that you believe that..." he said quietly enough that the others couldn't hear, then more loudly, "But you have not come alone I see." His great unblinking eye scanned the air around him, "Heroes of old, they wish to help, yes... but you will have to learn to wield their power yourself." He rapped Link's head with the cane.

"Enough talk you wish to go to the outside, yes? You wish to end this beautiful misery? This perfect destruction? So be it! Far be it from me to tell you what to do with your own world, I am only an outsider." He tapped his cane on the ground and a sound like thunder filled the small room.

When Link again opened his eyes he was once again being carried but this time much more roughly, He twisted and saw two Moblin holding his legs, "Damn, that specter!" He swore. He twisted wrenching free of one of the Moblin's grip and reached for his sword.

"Why'd you drop 'im!" The one still holding his legs grunted.

"I didn't drop 'im, 'e slipped! S'all bloody innit!" The other said shoving the first.

Link, too bewildered to react could do nothing but lay there as the beast picked him up again, "Don't drop 'im again or ill mash ye right in!" the first warned.

They carried him through the gates still arguing and tossed him in the back of a covered wagon, "That's the last one 'ee is, what ye got for us, soul seller." the Poe salesman tossed them a familiar looking wallet jangling with rupees. They squealed with delight and immediately began fighting over it. Link remained silent, until they were out of earshot and then He, Rena and Janus sat up.

"Why did they think we were dead?" Link asked stepping through the canvas to sit beside the eerie driver as the carriage trundled along the path pulled by invisible courses.

"People see what they wish to see, no?" he said mysteriously pulling his wallet out of his ragged robes.

"Keep it..." Link waved it away, "as payment.

"I thank you." He said emptying the contents onto the road, "I have been in need of a sturdy pouch for some time."

The spectral salesman parted with them at the end of the road, "Your friends seem more sullen than before."

Link looked at Janus and Rena who were beaming from ear to ear as they planted their feet down on free soil, "They don't seem so to me..." he smiled.

"I was not talking about them." He said waving his bony hands through the air around him, "You carry many dead souls with you swordsman, normally I would relieve you of them but their purpose is bound to yours. They will help but you will have to find the strength to wield them, or they will consume you." With that he snapped the reigns and his phantom courses pulled him on down the path.

"What did he say?" Rena asked taking a break from tumbling around in the grass to watch him leave.

"I'm not sure." Link said, not altogether untruthfully.

"So where are we going?" She asked.

"I'm going to the forest, the spells there are strong, last time it took Gannondorf seven years to break them and that was without resistance from the Deku Tree. He may be stronger this time but I'm sure the forest is still safe for the time being." He adjusted his equipment and set his eyes on the east. He could feel the forest there even if he could not see it in the darkness, it was like the feeling at the end of the day, the irresistible tug calling you home. What he would find when he got there, however; he could not be sure.


	8. Chapter VIII: Deku Tree

Zelda's head drooped, the pain of his mental torture had left her ears ringing and she could feel a trickle of hot blood running out of her nose.

"There was a time, dear Princess, when your mind would have relinquished the power I seek with far less coercion." Gannondorf pulled her hair back so hard she thought her neck would break and she was forced to stare into those hateful soulless eyes, "So tell me; what is it that you have left to fight for?" She summoned all her strength and spat in his face laughing until his hand closed around her throat cutting off her air but she still grinned mirthlessly and wildly through her disheveled hair. "I _could _kill you, Princess. I could, quite easily, believe me..." he said narrowing his eyes dangerously. He released his grip and she fell to the floor gasping. "Why do you continue to defy me?" he stroked her hair, almost lovingly.

She felt a thrill of revulsion shiver through her and recoiled from his touch, "Kill me if you like." she tossed her hair disdainfully, "I'll never give you what you seek, murderer!"

Gannondorf drew back a hand to strike her but lowered it pensively, "You've had plenty of reason to call me so before, and yet you never have..." His eyes flashed as a look of realization dawned slowly over his face and his malevolent laughter assailed her ears.

"Damn you!" she swore, drawing back to slap him.

He caught her wrist and wrapped his hand around her throat again lifting her up still laughing, "You _can't _mean the boy?" she could only glare at him, her hate speaking to all the hurt she would never voice in front of this monster. He laughed again, and tossed her back into the wall, her head hit the polished granite and stars burst in front of her eyes. "Oh you foolish girl, you would never have been together in your world. In mine however..." He laughed spreading his arms wide, "In my world destruction and death will equalize all, who you choose to cling to as your life fades into oblivion is no concern of mine. Now can you not see how equitable I am? How just?

She turned her head away, she had no more tears to cry.

"Your misery entertains me more at the moment than your continued torture. But despite what you think, _girl_; your mind _will_ eventually break and you will release the Triforce to me as you descend screaming into madness. As for the boy's piece... soon all of Hyrule will be under my rule and when it surfaces again I will claim the power to subdue your pitiful world for all eternity." He left the room, his dark laughter echoing up the stairs.

Zelda gazed fixedly at the wall, she imagined she was back in her chambers at the palace, gazing out of the window, always towards the east, the forest that was obscured by distance but which she could always feel in the pulse of the earth drawing her there not for the shade of its leaves, nor the protection of its spirits but for the Hero that dwelt beneath its wide canopy, she could always feel him singing in her blood and it always drew her gaze east.

But she couldn't feel anything anymore, nothing at all except despair and misery.

Arn held up a hand to shield his eyes from the bright golden sunlight. His staff rested on the same spot on his left shoulder that it had always occupied since his father had told him he was old enough to tend to the goats. As he watched his own handful of goats meander around his hill, he breathed in the bright clear air, it felt like filling his lungs with light. He felt the presence of Wyla, his woman, as she approached from behind and the wailing of his son made a secondary announcement. Wyla slipped her arm around his waist, "His lungs are strong at least." She said stroking the boy's cheek lovingly.

"If he keeps getting stronger we shall have to find a name for him." He said looking down and letting pride fill his heart. "I too was a sickly child but I earned my name as well." He pressed his forehead to hers and nuzzled her affectionately.

"Well if he were to have a name what do you think fits him?" She asked.

"Wyla, it is still too soon." He cautioned, placing an arm around her.

"I like Arth..." the baby cooed in her arms, "He likes it too." she laughed, rocking him to and fro and singing the name to him.

Arn felt the tremor pass through the earth and the goats scattered, he looked over the plains and saw a great dark cloud growing, flames lit it red as blood from beneath.

"Wyla, take the boy inside." He told her.

"Don't you mean Arth?" she smiled.

"GO!" she scurried back inside, casting a fearful look back.

Arn watched as the darkness approached, as tall as ten men with hair like fire and blood and skin black and scaled like the winged serpents. Never had he seen nor heard of anything like it. He held his staff in his hands, he could not be afraid of this darkness, he had a family to protect.

Beasts such as he had never seen raced through the tall grass towards him and he beat them back time and again with his staff, but their numbers were growing and his arms were tiring. He heard a scream and turned to see the tail of one of the dark creatures slither into his tent, "WYLA!" he shouted. He turned to rush to them and was taken from behind by one of the viscous demons, he was immediately swarmed, he could feel their teeth tearing his flesh but still he struggled to reach the tent where he could hear Wyla screaming and Arth wailing and then both were silenced, "WYLAAA!" his last words tore at his throat and hot tears streaked his torn face as he surrendered himself to the darkness.

Link woke in a cold sweat, _Wyla, where is Wyla! _He thought frantically before coming to his senses. He buried his face in his hands and choked down a sob, he had had nightmares before but nothing like that. Rena and Janus slept by the dying embers of the fire, and the air was heavy with a melancholy that wasn't his; he remembered what the Soul Seller had said about his "friends". If he shut his eyes he could still see the flames consume that wholesome field and hear the screams of two lives that were silenced forever, he knew better than to dismiss them as fantasy.

"Arn?" he whispered as low as he possibly could.

_I failed them, _it leapt into his mind as though it had been whispered into his ear though no one made a sound. He wanted to say something comforting but in all the books in the world no one had ever written words to heal a wound two thousand years deep. And so he rolled over and went back to sleep.

The dawn broke the melancholy of his dream though it didn't erase it entirely. He roused Rena and Janus and they snuffed the fire and turned east, the forest was very visible now even in the dim blighted daylight but between the branches bright shafts of honeyed sunlight filtered through.

Link pointed it out to Rena, "How is that possible?" She wondered, "it never gets brighter than half past dusk out here."

"It's the Deku Tree, he guards the forest realms from evil." He said packing his sleeping blanket away, "I will take you to him today and ask for his permission to let you stay in the forest."

"Do you think he'll agree?" Janus asked.

"It's hard to say, he is a gentle spirit but is not overly fond of people." Link said as they made their way past the first few saplings, the largest no thicker than his wrist. Already the unnatural gloom of the blackened sky was beginning to lighten as they entered the sanctuary of the forest.

Rena breathed deeply, "The air feels so much cleaner here!" she exclaimed, Janus nodded his agreement.

Link shushed them with a wave of his hand, "Be quiet as you enter the forest, frightening the children will not ingratiate you with the Great Deku Tree."

They nodded and walked on in silence for what seemed like hours until they could see a break in the trees ahead and emerged into a bright clearing. The thick ancient trees here had been shaped into little houses and spiraling planks and walkways crossed from tree to tree in a vast network that stretched up into the topmost branches. "Is this where you live?" Rena whispered, awestruck.

"No, but it was where I grew up." He said proudly.

"Good then it is fitting that you shall die here." said a voice who was not Rena or Janus.

A shadowy form leapt from the trees and Link immediately maneuvered between it and Rena. The flash of steel came like lightning but Link's reflexes did not fail him as he blocked a flurry of strikes before his opponent vanished into thin air.

"I know the feel of your steel, show yourself Impa!" he called into the leaves.

The woman appeared on the path behind him, he could see the tears brimming in her eyes, but her voice was like ice, "Die, demon!"

She charged but Link dropped the master sword and raised his left hand in the air, in moments the Kokiri's village was filled with a scourging holy light as the seal of the Triforce shone forth in its full glory. "Are times so dark that you don't recognize a friend?" Link said kindly as he offered the woman his hand.

Hers was trembling as she grasped it, and before he could react she pulled herself up and threw her arms around him briefly, "How can this be? I saw you die." she whispered in awe holding him at arms length and looking him over closely as if she still didn't fully believe what she was seeing.

"I have a hard time explaining myself, but as near I understand it I owe my life to the aid of some helpful spirits." He motioned to the air around him by way of introduction.

"So I see." She said gravely, "They are full of anger..."

"I've seen what happened to some of them, their anger is justified."

"Link, after so many years...anger is just anger." She said darkly shaking her head.

Link shrugged, and, eager to change the subject, motioned to the black clouds that were still visible hanging over the fields though the sky directly above them was bright and sunny. "It seems worse than last time, Gannondorf's power has grown in our negligence."

"The princess still lives, I feel it, do not despair." Impa reassured him, sensing the hidden question.

Impa chose this moment to look past him and her gaze again darkened, "You keep strange company these days, hero." She stepped up to Janus. She was taller than he by a head but he was easily three times as wide and returned her gaze evenly, "You are Janus Burin. I passed you many times in the castle cells... deserter."

Link narrowed his gaze and Janus gave them each a long steady look to show he was not intimidated, "I do not deny it, ma'am. I saw the battle of Crucible Hill," He nodded at Link, "I saw him, just a lad, slay twenty, but when it came my turn to thrust the sword, I turned and I ran. I am a coward I suppose but I help where I can, I do not enslave nor murder innocents by the thousands and I love this land of Hyrule, I will help you to take it back if I can, and if the time comes that I am in a battle then I pray to the gods that my courage does not desert me again."

When the trials for the war criminals were held, Link had sat long days in the courtroom and heard many people admit to terrible things, but he had never heard a man admit to cowardice he saw that it must take some kind of courage to see something in yourself that most men find repulsive and face it unblinkingly, he extended his hand and Janus took it blinking in surprise, "Why did you not tell us sooner?"

"Rena knows, but how does one tell the Hero of Hyrule that he is a coward?" It was Link's turn to blink in surprise. He was so used to the other knights looking down on him that he had never even thought that his name might carry weight outside the circles of nobility. _No,_ he realized with a flash of shame, _it was not that I never realized, I merely never cared what the common folk thought of me, in that regard I was just like the nobles._

"You are honest then, whatever else you may be, you have my respect." He closed his other hand still faintly glowing atop Janus' and the man nodded, his eyes shining slightly.

"There is a camp not far from here, men and women and anyone who has escaped the slaver's lash. They seek to gather enough forces to begin striking the Demon King's fortresses." Impa interjected, "I was headed in their direction when I came across your group. It would be my honor to take you to them."

"I will follow later, first I must see an old friend." Link said taking her hand.

Impa nodded signifying that she understood, "I am on another task and must make haste but I shall wait in the camp for you to arrive, I must speak with you further about your new friends."

Janus looked down but Link knew she didn't mean the ones standing beside him, he merely nodded and led the other two on into the forest.

Rena gasped as they emerged into the Deku Tree's grotto, its massive roots and limbs branched out protectively and filtered the noonday sun through its multitudinous leaves casting the ground below in a sylvan twilight. A breeze rustled the leaves and a deep sonorous voice emanated from the earth below, "_So thou hast returned, Child of Destiny._"

"I have, Great Deku Tree, the two with me seek shelter from the storm that gathers on your doorstep, they will help the children to fortify their homes and, if it comes to it, defend them from attack." Link glanced back to Janus who nodded resolutely, "I know they will do nothing to betray the sanctity of your forest."

The leaves shook loudly overhead and Rena and Janus cowered, Link smiled, the Deku Tree's laughter was indeed intimidating to those not used to hearing it, "_Your days amongst the halls of carven stone hast given thine tongue a grace it didst not possess when last thou stood before me, child._"

Link smiled again, he had never known his father, but when he tried to picture his face he found it hard to picture anything too dissimilar from the Deku Tree's carven face.

"_If they have thine friendship and it be true then thine friends art most welcome." _

"Thank you, Great Deku Tree." He motioned to his friends to bow which they did and turned to leave.

_Child, come and have words with a tired old tree, _This was a private request in the language of breezes and the lightest falling of leaves which could not be heard by those who had not been raised in this realm of faeries and forest children.

"Go and meet the children, I'll catch you up." he waved and returned to the titanic roots nestling his body, still slightly stiff from his healing wounds, among their tangled labyrinth.

_The spirits of the long dead swirl around thee, child, tell me, what hast happened since thou left my sight these seven nights ago? _Link knew the answer he expected, he allowed his tired mind to drift off and felt the spirit's titanic consciousness fill him up. All of a sudden he was aware of the sweet taste of the earth beneath him and the warm breath of the sun on his head, time stretched and slowed and he could feel the turning of the world beneath him. When it was over he felt as though he had slept for a thousand nights though he could tell it had only been a few moments. _These spirits are bound to thee but they do not own thee, never forget this, child._

Link stood and stretched all the stiffness was gone from his joints and his ribs no longer ached, "Thank you Great Deku Tree." he whispered into the withered bark.

As he left he heard it's voice again, _Child... _he paused at the entrance to the Great Spirit's glen, _Do not think that these days of death and sorrow are the only times one can speak with an old tree._ The leaves shook with the tree's laughter but Link felt a twinge of guilt, though he and the Spirit were constantly aware of each other when he was near the forest he had been a child when he last spoke with the tree face to face. "I promise..." he whispered as he followed the well worn trail back to the village.


	9. Chapter IX: Disaster at the Wall

After meeting with the childlike Kokiri and making introductions on behalf of Rena and Janus Link picked up Impa's trail which led to the southwest edge of the forest. After a few meters the trail vanished completely but Link knew already where it led. There were two great trees in the southwest of the forest just on the edge of the Deku Tree's protection whose massive roots circled each other like two fighters preparing to duel, it was the perfect place for an encampment.

Great stretches of cloth now formed a giant canopy in the midst of the roots and several men watched the entrance. "Who goes..." one began but his words caught in his throat and he merely gaped as Link entered the encampment. He could feel the eyes follow him as he walked among the hastily constructed tents as he made his way to the center of the camp. One man dropped an armload of kindling to stare dumbfounded in his wake, and everywhere he could hear activity grind to a halt, the grate of whetstones against steel, the pounding of the smith's hammer, the slap and shuffle of looms as the women wove new banners, all were silenced as they watched the knight they had thought dead walk amongst them again.

Before he could enter the large commander's tent in the center Keith threw back the flap violently and stood dumbstruck before him, "I do not believe my eyes." he whispered, "Thank the gods you're alive, it's a miracle!" He leapt on him nearly smothering him in a tearful embrace.

"Peace, Keith." Link laughed with difficulty. "I shan't be alive much longer if you continue to smother me."

"When Impa told us you lived I dared not believe it, how did you ever survive?" Link's countenance fell as he searched for the right words to describe the help he had received in the temple but before he could speak Keith raised a hand, silencing him, "It matters not, you are here now and with that sword..." He eyed the faintly shining blued steel pommel, "now we have a real chance." He threw his arm around Link's neck and brought him in the tent. "We have much to discuss," he began once the flap had closed behind them, "Hyrule is in a sorry state, my friend. Lon Lon ranch, Zora's Domain, the Mountain, all have been turned to fortresses and the people enslaved, the largest by far though is in the south, they have erected a great iron banded wall that stretches from the desert fortress to the lake's furthest shore and back. Ravd and young Grey have gone there now but I fear their numbers much too small to win a victory."

"Grey? You mean Dael Grey!?" Link asked leaping to his feet.

"The very same. You've only missed them by a half day they left in the night. We were just planning to ride out when you arrived." Keith said.

"I must leave at once." Link said making for the entrance.

Keith nodded as though he expected this but put a hand on his shoulder as he was leaving, "Link, I'll not stop you but if we lose you then Hyrule is lost, do not forget." Link nodded.

As he exited he found himself facing the entire camp who erupted in applause and cheers, and now it was Link's turn to be dumbstruck. Keith laughed, "I know that you had few friends in the palace, but those of us who were not raised in an ivory tower did not forget who it was who lifted the siege those six long years ago."

"Thank you, my friend." Link said, truly touched and humbled once again.

"Take as many men as you like, it will save me from having to postpone planning our next raid to go after them myself."

Link nodded his thanks and raised his voice to the crowd, "Your brothers now march to the south, without our aid it is likely they march to their death and I do not mean for the Demon King to claim one more soul with this darkness not while I can stand in his way!" He unsheathed his sword and held it high it caught the light and blazed brilliantly in the noonday sun. "WHO WILL JOIN ME!" he was met with a roar of assent. He smiled, and turned to Keith, "There is someone in the Kokiri forest that should be informed that her brother still lives."

Keith nodded his assent, "You will need a horse I suppose." he said.

"No." Link smiled, "I will not."

"DAMN IT ALL!" Dael swore as two of his men were trampled by the pressing mob of Moblin. He hacked to the left and right splitting skulls and severing limbs. "FALL BACK!" he ordered as his flanks withered. "FALL BACK TO THE HILL, DAMN IT!" he turned and thrust his sword through the throat of a Moblin trying to behead his horse Rueben. As he wrenched it free Reuben let out a terrified whinny as he was pulled over from the other side and Dael toppled out of the saddle to land in the blood and muck. He pulled his head out of the bloody dirt churned into a thick slurry by pounding boots and hooves. _Where in the Hell was Ravd!?_ He wondered as he pulled his face out of the muck gasping and slashed open a Moblin's stomach as it threatened to trample him. His men had followed his orders and withdrew leaving him surrounded on all sides, for the most part the Moblin were too focused on the retreating Hylians to notice their fallen general in their midst. Dael lopped off the head of a short Moblin in front of him and continued to press forward, hoping against hope that the enemy would continue to focus on his retreating men but as he plunged Wastrel into a Moblin's head he locked eyes with a large, fat Moblin with a huge axe. Tearing his blade free he swung it all the way around as he had seen Link do many times before and buried his blade deep into the beast's gullet but not before it bellowed a warning to its surrounding brethren of the enemy in their midst. A Moblin three times Dael's height charged him when an angry buzzing sound filled the air and an arrow hit the charging beast in the eye with such force that it tore out the side of it's bulbous head leaving a ruined crater where the right side of its hideous face had once been. Recognizing the black shaft of Ravd's arrow Dael did the only thing he could think of and dove under the toppling Moblin as a hail of arrows rained death from the sky.

The thick mud allowed him to burrow out from under the giant Moblin's bulk and he spat out a mouthful of mud silently vowing that this was the last time he would allow himself to be trapped under one of these repulsive creatures. He was still surrounded but now the Moblin were scattered and confused, He heard a horse scream and turned sharply round to see Reuben struggling to his feet, an arrow protruding from his haunch. Dael sprinted towards him vaulting clear over his hindquarters and landing in the saddle, he smacked the uninjured half of his backside with the flat of his blade and charged towards the gate. He could see Ravd's cavalry charging towards the very same gate and spurred Reuben harder trampling one of the Moblin as he leapt over a barricade and dashed through the gate at full gallop pulling a hard right as Ravd came thundering past. Dael shot the knight a dangerous glare as he rode past which was returned with only a cocky half-smile.

Dael met Diek and Teman first as he made his way up the hill, "Dael, thank the gods you're safe! When we saw you were not with the others we headed back immediately." Teman said bringing his gelding round to walk beside him.

Dael hung his head, "How many men?" He asked bitterly.

"Seven missing, three with minor scrapes, no serious wounds though." The swordsman answered.

"Their deaths are on my hands." Dael muttered heavily.

"Yes," Teman said, "as are the lives of the men you saved by ordering a retreat before we were surrounded."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Dael asked sharply.

"No, I rode with your father for many years and if I learned anything from him it is that command is not about how you feel at the end of the day it is about how many of your men will go home to their wives and children and draw breath another day." Teman looked up to the top of the hill where cheers had already erupted as they saw Dael returning. He dismounted taking a moment to work the shaft out of Reuben's rear, luckily the firm muscle beneath had prevented it from penetrating too deep, before rejoining his men.

As he joined his men he heard a horn blast from the gate and saw Ravd's cavalry turn and begin charging back up the hill pursued by a sea of angry Moblin. When no explosion followed he mounted Reuben again and went to meet the knight. He pulled Reuben up beside him, "What of the bridge!?" he shouted over the thunder of hoofbeats and distant roars.

"We were unable to reach it, perhaps if your forces had been there as planned!" The young knight shouted back accusingly. "We are making a full retreat bring your men!"

"NOT ALL MY MEN ARE MOUNTED THEY'LL BE CUT TO RIBBONS!" Dael protested.

"Then you must do what is best for your men as I must do for mine!" Ravd shouted back and spurred his black mare onward.

Dael could only roar in frustration and peel off to ride back to his men. "Ravd will not aid us in our retreat!" he raged as he rejoined them, "I need all the men with a horse on me!" Immediately the mounted men pulled up. "EVERYONE NOT ON A HORSE RETREAT AS FAST AS YOU CAN RUN!" he bellowed. The men exchanged glances, "NOW, DAMN YOU!" they scattered back over the crest of the hill.

"The rest of you form a line!" there was shuffling and the anxious whinnying of horses as this was done. "We will charge and break the enemy line and immediately retreat and regroup! We will do this as many times as it takes for our brothers to make a retreat! ON MY SIGNAL!" He raised wastrel high and it flashed in the last of the dawn as the sun disappeared into the blackened sky. "Any regrets my friend?" he asked Teman.

"Only that your father is not alive to see what a fine man his son has grown into." The swordsman said beaming with pride.

Dael smiled back silently thanking him, "And you?" He turned to Diek.

"Only that I own a horse." the woodsman smiled gruffly.

Dael laughed too in spite of himself and brought his blade down pointing it's damning edge at the line of charging moblin, "CHARGE!"

"Sir, if you need a horse..." one of the men offered.

"She'll come." Link reassured him smiling. Sure enough the sound of hoofbeats came distantly and soon the rust coloured mare could bee seen barreling over the rise fast as anything. She stopped in front of him rearing and whinnying in joy and nuzzling him so hard he almost fell over. "I'm happy to see you too, girl." He laughed. He swung himself into the saddle and turned his attention to the battle. going on outside the forest. Dael had charged the Moblin line thrice now and they were just bringing their mounts around for another charge. It was a good strategy giving their foot soldiers time to retreat but Link knew the horses would tire quickly from repeated charges like this. "Jerred, the horn." the man on his left handed him a polished Hylian horn and he pressed his lips to it and sounded three clear blasts.

For the fourth time Dael charged the line of Moblin, they had already lost one horse, though it's rider survived and was now retreating on foot, their line was still one short. As the dwindling cavalry leapt once more into the fray he heard a clear Hylian horn from the forest. He turned to look, thinking Ravd had returned. It was not Ravd, fifty or so mounted men burst from the woods flying pennants of ten or so houses, their leader's horse pulled swiftly ahead and the others fell in behind him forming a deadly wedge as they drew closer he raised a brand as bright as daylight and slammed at full speed into the flank of the Moblin force. If he slowed at all it was not noticeable as he seemed to tear through the disorganized beasts like a hot brand through vellum. The rider looped around and road straight for Dael. Now that he was closer Dael could see his tattered black leathers and his bronze and golden hair. "I don't believe it..." He murmured under his breath.

Link brought Epona to a stop right next to Dael who could not stop the tears from streaming down his face, "I can think of better mornings to pick a fight, little brother." He said smiling broadly.

"I thought..." He began choking down a sob.

"I know, so did everyone else, myself included. This is hardly the place for conversation, though, let's get back to camp there's someone waiting for you."

"Wait, Link!" Dael caught his arm before he rode away. "Ravd got the barrels as far as the bridge if we can destroy it then we will be able to cut off the lake from the desert!"

Link gazed out across the battlefield, "The bridge?" He sighed as yet more Moblin poured from the gap in the wall. Dael nodded. "How good of a shot are you?" He asked handing him a sturdy bow.

"Better than my father." Dael grinned.

"You forget I knew your father, but I suppose it will have to do." He handed him a black arrow that made his fingers tingle to touch it and was etched on both sides with runes that glowed like dying embers. "Your only job it to hit those barrels."

"But without flame..." Dael began.

"Oh there'll be flame, stay close behind me." He spurred Epona and charged through the gates. Dael had seen Link fight before but never in a battle, the lightest flick of his wrist was lethal as he swung his sword with unmatched swiftness and ferocity while charging at full gallop towards the bridge. Dael had little time to watch however as his eyes were fixed on the barrel as soon as he knew he wouldn't miss he shouted at Link to duck.

Link rolled in his saddle until he was parallel with the ground and swung his sword clean through a Moblin's leg the size of a tree trunk. Dael loosed the arrow and it cut a bright iridescent arc through the faded daylight striking the base of the stack of barrels he shielded his eyes as first a burst of white-hot flame and then an explosion turned the dim morning bright as noon for an instant scattering the Moblin. "On me!" Link shouted as he plunged into the dazed Moblin rushing for the gate as they burst through they passed the rest of the cavalry Link had brought who already had bows drawn. They loosed as the two thundered past and the barbs decimated the Moblin lines five ranks deep.

The Moblin seemed to decide that they had suffered enough losses for one day and retreated back inside the wall.

On the ride back Dael regaled his friend with the tale of everything that had happened to him since he had last seen him that stormy day in the village, when he reached the part about Ravd's retreat he saw Link's eyes flash with an emotion he didn't quite recognize.

When they reached the camp Dael brought Reuben to the stables where he set about dressing the tired old warhorse's wound when he heard a stifled cry behind him. He turned and his heart leapt in his chest. Link stood behind him grinning ear to ear and beside him, her eyes red from tears was his sister.

"Rena!" he shouted, joyfully.

She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck, "Dael, when I saw you at the village... I thought...I thought that you had."

She broke down in sobs and Dael stroked her head soothingly. He looked up at Link to thank him but Link's gaze was drawn off to the left where Ravd and his men sat carousing. "It was a good battle anyway." Ravd was saying, "It would have been a good victory if it hadn't been for the cowardice of the young Grey." The men laughed and Dael's ears burned, he made towards them but Link was already storming across the camp.

"Oh, if it isn't the woodsman," Ravd said upon seeing the hero, "they had told me you were..."

He didn't get much further as Link grabbed the front of his tunic and lifted him to chest height, "You honorless wretch!" he spat and began to strike him repeatedly in the face. All of Ravd's men stood but no one moved to help their lord. Ravd tried to throw up his hands to stop the rain of blows but Link continued to strike. Keith and Josan came running out of the tent with a handful of guards but they stopped just outside the circle of Ravd's men.

Ravd's arms finally dropped to his sides and as Link drew back to strike him again he stopped, his clenched fist quivering with rage, "Link, don't..." Rena pleaded. Her voice was small and frightened but in the ensuing silence of the camp it was loud enough to carry.

Link lowered his fist and released Ravd's tunic, the beaten knight slumped over in the grass and Link stormed out of the camp the guards and Ravd's men parting to let him through. Dael could only watch him leave, his mouth hanging open in shock, he'd never seen his friend fly off the handle like that.

Keith ran his hands through his short cropped hair and puffed out his cheeks as he exhaled, "Someone pick Ravd up off the ground." he sighed. Two of his men moved forward nervously as Ravd let out a groan.

Keith shook his head and left to find the hero. He didn't have to look far however as Link was just outside the encampment staring up at the sky his clenched fists still shaking. "I will not apologize." He said before Keith could get within a hundred feet of his friend.

"I'm not asking you to." Keith assured him, "Hell, I could barely stop myself from joining you. I've wanted to beat that prick since the day I met him."

"He treats his men like servants and still they worship him, blind fools." Link wasn't sure why he was still so angry. It was almost as if it was coming from outside himself like someone else's anger was fueling his own, giving it life when it would've normally died out long ago. Unbidden the images of the burning field filled his mind. He wished he was still back in the Deku Tree's grove. Taking a de opened his mind to the guardian spirit's beneficent protection and felt his emotions calm somewhat.

"You've been on edge ever since you're return, old friend." Keith said placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong."

Link took a deep breath and smiled though it felt forced even when he couldn't see it and it didn't seem to convince Keith either, "I'm sorry my friend, I just...haven't felt like myself lately. I never thought I'd be fighting in another war so soon."

Keith nodded, "The gods have asked much of us in recent years, at times I wonder if they hear us at all." He gazed up and saw immediately what Link was looking at. The black clouds were barely visible through a break in the trees, though they did not yet cross the borders of the forest they seemed to be gathering in the north. Keith ran his fingers through his hair as he was wont to do when his nerves were frayed. "This time they may have asked too much." he muttered darkly.


	10. Author's Notes

The series (intended to be a trilogy) that I have called The First Knight's Saga is based upon a timeline that I researched and wrote down after playing the Oracle installments to the series. As such any information which was revealed afterwards was obviously not alluded to in the original story.

This story has also gone through two rewrites, the first draft I completed was just dialogue with notes on the setting and time. The second draft which is elsewhere posted on the site was about as good as I could make it at the time I was writing (around 14 or 15) and I still liked the idea I came up with. Now 24 I find that the story is still compelling to me and am attempting to rewrite it again. In each iteration I added details that came in games which were unpublished at the time of my original story while at the same time doing nothing that conflicted with the original framework.

My original idea was to include my full timeline with the story so that you could see the story I was creating. Now I think it will be better for you to see it as it unfolds so the timeline I'm including here is only that which occurs within the story that is only alluded to within the writing itself. AGAIN I WILL STATE THAT THIS IS IN NO WAY BASED ON, NOR WAS IT MEANT TO BE AN OFFICIAL TIMELINE. THIS IS HOW EVENTS UNFOLDED IN THE STORY I AM WRITING, IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT I WELCOME YOU TO READ ANY OF THE OTHER MARVELOUS STORIES ON THIS SITE.

At the end of each event I have put Link's age if you care to know it. It is _not_ important to the story and will not be mentioned at all in the first installment.

Link defeats Gannondorf and seals him in the Sacred Realm with the aid of the six sages and Zelda. Link is 17.

Link returns to the past and returns the empowered Master Sword to its pedestal, forever imprisoning the Demon King. Link is 10.

Link returns to the palace and accepts/resumes his duties as Royal Messenger. Link is 10.

When negotiations between the Gerudo and Hyrulean forces break down Link returns to the Kokiri Forest to prepare for the oncoming war. Link is 13.

Link is personally honored by the King for his breaking a weeks long siege on the palace. Link is 14.

Zelda chooses Link and a handful of Knights to accompany her into the desert to negotiate for peace. Link is 15.

Zelda in the guise of Sheik is captured and held in the Gerudo Dungeons. Link is 15.

Link attacks the base and rescues the Princess also defeating Koume and Kotake the twin witches leading the Gerudo forces. Link is 15.

Link is Knighted and named Knight Protector of the Princess. Link is 15.

Sir Link, Sir Grey, and Sir Marke lead the armies of Hyrule deep into the desert. Link is 16.

When the Gerudo retreat across the haunted wastes Link persues them alone and corners their leader Nabooru. Link is 16.

Not wanting any further bloodshed on either side Link negotiates a peace wherein the Hyrulean forces will withdraw and leave the Desert to the Gerudo and the Gerudo will forswear from ever attacking Hyrulean lands again Princess Zelda comes to sign the treaty herself. Link is 16.

To reward him for his bravery the King offers to name Link the Lord of the Forest which would give him the third largest title in the kingdom, he refuses the offer and only accepts the lesser title of Warden of the Greenwood which gives him control over the laws governing the forest. Link is 17.

For a year Link resumes his duties as Knight Protector to the Princess until her eighteenth birthday when, for propriety's sake he builds a house on the edge of the forest and takes up residence there. Link is 18.

Link joins Prince Lucas for hunts and lives in relative solitude for a year and a half until an urgent summons brings he and the other Knights of the Realm to the Palace. Link is 19. (He knows only that he was brought to the forest in the winter and it is early winter when he arrives at the castle so he is 19 or 20 when the story begins but most definitely twenty at this point in the story which is mid winter.)

Original Characters and their backgrounds.

Sir Damus Grey- pronounced DAY-MUS and the color "GREY"- The Grey Family are Wardens of Kakariko (they live in the big house that used to be Impa's) officially the village still belongs to the sheikah tribe. Damus is the patron of the Grey family and father to Dael and Rena Grey. He befriended Link in the Imprisoning war and is one of the Hero's only friends among the Knights. He wants his son Dael to Squire for Link when he comes of age in two years. He is 37.

Alia Grey- pronounced AH-LEE-UH- The wife of Damus and Mother of Dael and Rena. She is quiet and kind. She is 35.

Dael Grey- pronounced like DALE- The young son of Damus and heir to his title. Dael can't wait to become a knight. He grew up around Link and treats him as an older brother. Though his father wants him to squire for the Hero Dael secretly hopes he will be asked to squire for a more prestigious knight to increase his reputation. He idolizes Sir Ravd who holds the lands east of Kakariko and the mountains. He is 14.

Rena Grey- pronounced RAY-NUH- The youngest child of Damus Grey, she also grew up with Link and has been smitten with him for most of her life. She is brash and opinionated and not opposed to getting her hands dirty when she must. She is 13.

Raiko- pronounced RYE-KOH ("Rai" is pronounced like the grain "rye" and not like the "rai" in "rain"- A sheikah warrior and the King's personal attendant. He is quiet and reserved, a fierce fighter he has mastered the Sheikah's vanishing technique and wields a long two handed sword (think O-katana) he is also a master of the twin swords prized by his clan of Sheikah (from further east on the coast of the Dagger Sea) but he left the swords at a shrine when he pledged himself to the service of the Royal family. He is 20.

Keith- pronounced KEETH (duh)- Keith is an orphan who joined the city guard when he came of age. He was Leftenant during the siege six years ago and was promoted to captain when the original captain died of an arrow wound. The promotion was made permanent when he helped a young Link finally break the siege. (it's important to remember that Keith is the Captain of the _city_ guard whereas Sir Josan Marke is Knight Commander of the _palace_ guard. Keith is 25.

Sir Josan Marke- pronounced JOE-ZON (the "S" is a hard "Z" sound and the a is long like in "Aria") and Marke like MARK- Sir Josan is Knight Commander of the Palace guard. He is stalwart and grim but reliable and brave. He is 40.

Sir Reston Ravd- pronounced RES-TON RAV-D (the "Ravd" ends in a hard "D" without any aspirated vowels in between and the "A" is short like in "cAt")- Normally called by his surname only Sir Ravd is a confident, some would say cocky, young knight from a long and storied line of knights that control the lands east of the mountains and Kakariko to the Dagger Sea. His men adore him and strive to win his approval, he is not known for his beneficent leadership however and often puts his men in danger to test their mettle. He is often heard to say, "A man under my banner must stand on his own or not at all." He is 23.

Janus Burin- pronounced JAY-NUS BYOO-RIN- A disgraced commander who retreated from a pivotal battle at Crucible Hill. He has been in the palace dungeons since the end of the war. He is quiet and sullen and normally does not speak unless spoken to and uses as few words as possible. He is 29.

Taiga- pronounced TY-GAH- A zora artist turned warrior. (at the point I'm posting this he isn't in the story yet but I'm going to go ahead and post all my original characters) Taiga is expressive and creative, in his favored medium of ice and on the battlefield. He is reliable but knows little of strategy and is as like to make a grievous mistake as a brilliant maneuver. He is 14 (in Hylian years around 20 as they mature faster than Hylians.)

Diek- pronounced DEEK- A woodsman from Kakariko who fights for House Grey. He is quiet but has a dry wit that occasionally surfaces. He is 30.

Teman- pronounced TI-MAN (the "Te" is short like the TI in "tin")- A skilled swordsman who fights for House Grey. He is 34.

Fene Lordes- pronounced FANE LORDS- A talented archer who fights under the banner of the Greenwoods (Link's banner) he is short and lithe and of good humor. He is fond of making battles into competitions and hates losing. He is 19.

Calsifer Syreno- pronounced CAL-SIH-FER SIH-REN-OH- A tall willowy man who is well studied in the magical arts. He is quiet and distant and spends much of his time reading in dusty old tomes. He is a master strategist and can make even the most complex of plans come together. He fights under the banner of the Greenwood with his friend Fene. He is 106 (but has the appearance of being in his early twenties.)

Lucas Arcite Haimon du Hyrule- pronounced LOO-KUS AR-KUH-TAY HAY-MON DOO HY-ROOL- The crowned prince of the Hyrule Kingdom. When our story begins he is far away fighting in the western land of Calatia. He is 22.


End file.
